SB43 • 2026

Demand response programs; evaluation and assessment by Department of Energy, report.

An Act to direct the Department of Energy to evaluate and assess the benefits and impacts of and best practices and implementation recommendations for demand response programs; report.

Energy Taxes

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Roem
Last action: 2026-04-13
Official status: Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Demand response programs; evaluation and assessment by Department of Energy, report.

Department of Energy; demand response programs; evaluation and assessment; report.

What This Bill Does

Department of Energy; demand response programs; evaluation and assessment; report.
Directs the Department of Energy to evaluate and assess the benefits and impacts of and best practices and implementation recommendations for demand response programs in the Commonwealth and to submit a report of such evaluation and assessment by November 1, 2026.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 874 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0874)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0874)
2026-04-01 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB43)
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-31 House
Signed by Speaker
2026-03-31 Senate
Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026
2026-03-31 Governor
Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-30 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB43ER)
2026-03-11 House
Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
2026-03-11 House
Read third time
2026-03-11 House
Passed House (71-Y 28-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 House
Read second time
2026-03-06 Rules
Reported from Rules (18-Y 0-N)
2026-03-02 Studies Subcommittee
Subcommittee recommends reporting (5-Y 0-N)
2026-03-01 Studies Subcommittee
Assigned HRUL sub: Studies Subcommittee
2026-02-19 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-19 House
Read first time
2026-02-19 Rules
Referred to Committee on Rules
2026-02-16 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 17-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate (Voice Vote)
2026-02-12 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-12 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-11 Finance and Appropriations
Reported from Finance and Appropriations (13-Y 2-N)
2026-02-09 Commerce and Labor
Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)
2026-02-09 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB43)
2025-11-22 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26101177D
2025-11-22 Commerce and Labor
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

Official Summary Text

Department of Energy; demand response programs; evaluation and assessment; report.
Directs the Department of Energy to evaluate and assess the benefits and impacts of and best practices and implementation recommendations for demand response programs in the Commonwealth and to submit a report of such evaluation and assessment by November 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to direct the Department of Energy to evaluate and assess the benefits and impacts of and best practices and implementation recommendations for demand response programs; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1.
§ 1. That the Department of Energy, in consultation with the State Corporation Commission, shall evaluate and assess the benefits and impacts of and best practices and implementation recommendations for demand response programs in the Commonwealth. Such evaluation and assessment shall include a review of (i) existing demand response programs and networks in the Commonwealth; (ii) current and prospective participation rates in demand response programs; and (iii) potential requirements for demand response programs to (a) meet the minimum reliability and resource adequacy standards set by the regional transmission entity of which an electric utility is a member, (b) reduce customers' energy consumption during an electric distribution grid emergency event or as otherwise necessary, (c) not increase local air pollution through the use of fossil fuels generators, and (d) be cost effective. The Department of Energy shall submit a report of such evaluation and assessment to the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor and the House Committee on Labor and Commerce no later than November 1, 2026.