SB645 • 2026

Air Pollution Control Board; regulations, small renewable energy projects, anaerobic tech., report.

An Act to amend and reenact § 10.1-1197.5, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report.

Energy Technology

Enacted

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

Sponsor: Surovell
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.

Air Pollution Control Board; regulations, small renewable energy projects, anaerobic tech., report.

Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report.

What This Bill Does

Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report.
Provides that for the purposes of a permit by rule for a small renewable energy project under existing law, a small renewable energy project includes an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030.
The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, to (i) assess all practicable technologies available to waste-to-energy facilities to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions, (ii) assess technologies to create biomethane, and (iii) recommend any legislative changes necessary to create market conditions to ensure the viability of such program.
The bill also directs the Department to report its findings to the Air Pollution Control Board by December 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.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

SB645AC

2026-03-13 • Conference

Conference Report

Plain English: JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT We, the conferees, appointed by the respective bodies to consider and report upon the disagreeing vote on Senate Bill No.

JOINT CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORT We, the conferees, appointed by the respective bodies to consider and report upon the disagreeing vote on Senate Bill No.
645 , report as follows: A.
We recommend that the House Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute (26108798D) be rejected.
B.

SB645S2

2026-03-13 • Conference

Conference Report Substitute

Plain English: 2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE 26109892D SENATE BILL NO.

2026 SESSION SENATE SUBSTITUTE 26109892D SENATE BILL NO.
645 AMENDMENT IN THE NATURE OF A SUBSTITUTE (Proposed by the Joint Conference Committee on March 13, 2026) (Patron Prior to Substitute—Senator Surovell) A BILL to amend and reenact § 10.1-1197.5 , as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1.
That § 10.1-1197.5 , as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows: § 10.1-1197.5 .

Bill History

2026-04-13 Governor
Approved by Governor-Chapter 901 (effective 7/1/2026)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0901)
2026-04-13 Governor
Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0901)
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
2026-03-31 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)
2026-03-30 Senate
Signed by President
2026-03-30 Senate
Enrolled
2026-03-30 Senate
Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB645ER)
2026-03-20 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)
2026-03-14 House
Conference report agreed to by House (87-Y 10-N 0-A)
2026-03-14 Senate
Conference report agreed to by Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)
2026-03-13 Conference
Conference Report released
2026-03-12 House
Conferees appointed by House
2026-03-12 House
House Conferees: Tran, Simonds, Ware
2026-03-11 Senate
Senate Conferees: Surovell, Williams Graves, Pekarsky
2026-03-11 Senate
Conferees appointed by Senate
2026-03-11 Senate
Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-03-10 House
House insisted on substitute
2026-03-10 House
House requested conference committee
2026-03-09 Appropriations
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)
2026-03-09 Senate
House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A)
2026-03-05 House
Read third time
2026-03-05 House
committee substitute rejected
2026-03-05 House
committee substitute agreed to
2026-03-05 House
Engrossed by House - committee substitute
2026-03-05 House
Passed House with substitute (93-Y 5-N 0-A)
2026-03-04 House
Read second time
2026-03-02 Appropriations
Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N)
2026-03-02 Appropriations
Committee substitute printed 26108798D-H2
2026-02-26 Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources
2026-02-25 Natural Resources
Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (10-Y 0-N)
2026-02-25 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Reported from Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources with substitute and referred to Appropriations (20-Y 2-N)
2026-02-25 Natural Resources
House subcommittee offered
2026-02-25 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Committee substitute printed 26108639D-H1
2026-02-24 Natural Resources
Assigned HACNR sub: Natural Resources
2026-02-19 House
Placed on Calendar
2026-02-19 House
Read first time
2026-02-19 Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources
2026-02-16 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read second time
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-13 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-13 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Substitute agreed to
2026-02-13 Senate
Engrossed by Senate Block Vote (Voice Vote)
2026-02-13 Senate
Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-13 Senate
Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (38-Y 0-N 0-A)
2026-02-12 Senate
Rules suspended
2026-02-12 Senate
Passed by for the day
2026-02-12 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Committee substitute printed 26107665D-S1
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)
2026-02-10 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources with substitute (15-Y 0-N)
2026-02-10 Senate
Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB645)
2026-02-10 Senate
Senate committee offered
2026-01-14 Senate
Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102504D
2026-01-14 Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources
Referred to Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources

Official Summary Text

Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report.
Provides that for the purposes of a permit by rule for a small renewable energy project under existing law, a small renewable energy project includes an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030. The bill directs the Department of Environmental Quality, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, to (i) assess all practicable technologies available to waste-to-energy facilities to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions, (ii) assess technologies to create biomethane, and (iii) recommend any legislative changes necessary to create market conditions to ensure the viability of such program. The bill also directs the Department to report its findings to the Air Pollution Control Board by December 1, 2026.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

An Act to amend and reenact §
10.1-1197.5
, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia, relating to Air Pollution Control Board regulations; small renewable energy projects; anaerobic digestion technology; report.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
10.1-1197.5
, as it is currently effective and as it shall become effective, of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
10.1-1197.5
. (Effective until July 1, 2026) Definitions.
As used in this article:
"Anaerobic digestion technology" means technology enabling anaerobic digestion as defined in §
3.2-3600
.
"Energy storage facility" means energy storage equipment or technology that is capable of absorbing energy, storing such energy for a period of time, and redelivering energy after it has been stored.
"Small renewable energy project" means (i) an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 150 megawatts that generates electricity only from sunlight or wind; (ii) an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity only from falling water, wave motion, tides, or geothermal power; (iii) an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 20 megawatts that generates electricity only from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste; (iv) an energy storage facility that uses electrochemical cells to convert chemical energy with a rated capacity not exceeding 150 megawatts;
or
(v) a hybrid project composed of an electrical generation facility that meets the parameters established in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) and an energy storage facility that meets the parameters established in clause (iv)
; or (vi) an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that any such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030
.
§
10.1-1197.5
. (Effective July 1, 2026) Definitions.
As used in this article:
"Anaerobic digestion technology" means technology enabling anaerobic digestion as defined in §
3.2-3600
.
"Energy storage facility" means energy storage equipment or technology that is capable of absorbing energy, storing such energy for a period of time, and redelivering energy after it has been stored.
"Interconnection facilities" means generation tie lines, collector lines, substations, switching stations, and any other component required to connect an electrical generation facility with the electrical grid.
"Small renewable energy project" means (i) an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 150 megawatts that generates electricity only from sunlight or wind and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities; (ii) an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity only from falling water, wave motion, tides, or geothermal power and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities; (iii) an electrical generation facility with a rated capacity not exceeding 20 megawatts that generates electricity only from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities; (iv) an energy storage facility that uses electrochemical cells to convert chemical energy with a rated capacity not exceeding 150 megawatts and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities;
or
(v) a hybrid project composed of an electrical generation facility that meets the parameters established in clause (i), (ii), or (iii) and an energy storage facility that meets the parameters established in clause (iv)
; or (vi) an electrical generation facility in a locality in Planning District 8 with a rated capacity not exceeding 100 megawatts that generates electricity from biomass, energy from waste, or municipal solid waste and its dedicated associated interconnection facilities, provided that any such facility is capable of processing the majority of its organic waste, including food waste and municipal sludge, with anaerobic digestion technology by January 1, 2030
.
2. That the Department of Environmental Quality (the Department), in coordination with the Department of Energy, the Department of Health, the State Air Pollution Control Board, any county using a county manager plan of government, and any county using an urban county executive form of government operating an incinerator in Planning District 8, shall, in coordination with any operator of a waste-to-energy facility in the Commonwealth, (i) assess all practicable technologies available to waste-to-energy facilities to reduce carbon dioxide and methane emissions, (ii) assess technologies to create biomethane, and (iii) recommend any legislative changes necessary to create market conditions to ensure the viability of such program. The Department shall report its findings to the State Air Pollution Control Board by December 1, 2026.