2025 Virginia General Assembly
This year, our priorities for the General Assembly include defending progress we’ve made on addressing climate change, enacting safeguards to protect communities from methane gas pipeline leaks and the environment, encouraging the expansion of clean energy and making sure data center growth is done in a way that protects communities.
The 2025 General Assembly session begins on January 8 and ends on February 22. Watch this space for updates and action opportunities throughout the session! You can also check the official General Assembly website for more information.
Defending progress on climate change
In 2020, Virginia passed major legislation to reduce carbon emissions and shift to a 100% clean energy economy by mid-century with the Virginia Clean Economy Act. However, powerful fossil fuel interest groups would like to weaken or repeal Virginia’s renewable energy standard. Help us encourage our lawmakers to stand strong, create clean energy jobs and insist that fossil fuels are phased out of our power sector and that power companies don’t take advantage of customers during the transition.
BILLS TO WATCH
OPPOSE
HB 2185 (Freitas) / SB 1077 (Peake): These bills remove a number of regulations including the ability for the State Air Pollution Control Board to reduce air pollution from electricity generation and prohibiting the State Corporation Commission from approving new carbon polluting facilities, under certain circumstances. They also alter the renewable energy credits associated with clean energy generation.
- UPDATE: HB 2185 has been referred to the House Labor & Commerce Committee. SB 1077 has been referred to the Senate Commerce & Labor Committee and will be heard Friday, January 24.
HB 1875 (Bloxom) / HB 2365 (Wilt): This set of bills amends the definition of renewable energy to include nuclear power and hydrogen and adds them to Virginia’s renewable portfolio standard program.
- UPDATE: HB 1875 and HB 2365 both failed to pass the House Labor & Commerce Subcommittee #3 on Jan. 24, via 6-4 votes.
Virginia Energy Efficiency Task Force
Our neighbors shouldn’t have to choose between paying their utility bills or paying for essential medical services and food. Virginia — with an estimated 150,000 low-income and energy inefficient households — has the 10th least affordable residential energy bills in the country. These households could benefit from energy efficiency upgrades that would reduce their percentage of household income spent on utility bills, known as energy burden, and improve indoor air quality and comfort.
BILLS TO WATCH
HB 1935 (LeVere-Bolling) / SB 777 (Locke) - We are advocating for a bill that would create a task force to evaluate energy efficiency resources for low-income households and identify the key barriers hindering energy efficiency retrofits and weatherization efforts. Most importantly, it would develop a plan and budget to effectively deliver energy efficiency retrofits to all eligible low-income households in Virginia within the next decade.
- UPDATE: HB 1935 reported from House Labor and Commerce via a 15-7 vote and will have its third read and vote by the full House of Delegates on Jan. 27. SB 777 unanimously reported out of the Senate General Laws and Technology and Finance and Appropriations committees and will be heard for its third reading and vote by the full Senate on Jan 27.
Strengthening pipeline safety
In Virginia, large transmission fracked-gas pipelines are not required to add an odorant to the gas traveling through the pipeline. Odorant is a chemical additive specifically designed to give a noticeable scent to otherwise odorless or low-odor gases as a safety precaution to help detect leaks. This year, HB 2545 from Del. Sam Rasoul would promote community safety by requiring the addition of odorant to pipelines that travel through our communities!
BILLS TO WATCH
HB 2545 (Rasoul): Requires that gas carried in intrastate transmission pipelines must be odorized so that a concentration of the gas in air of one-fifth of the lower explosive limit is readily detectable by the public and employees of the pipeline operator. . The bill directs the State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations related to the provisions of the bill.
- UPDATE: HB 2545 has been referred to the Labor and Commerce Committee.
Solar energy siting
The passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act and the transition to a 100% clean energy economy by mid-century calls for the development of clean energy resources, like solar, across the commonwealth. This development is going to require paying attention to community desires as well as the urgent need for a clean energy transition. We must build regional resilience through clean energy planning and development while protecting the cultural and environmental resources of Appalachia.
One way of doing this is by prioritizing solar facility development on land that has already been impacted by mining or other industrial activities. We support a budget amendment to fund the Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund, which would make it more cost-effective for solar developers to use already-disturbed sites. Created in 2021 to facilitate and award grants to renewable energy projects that are located on former industrial sites known as brownfields or previously coal-mined lands, this grant fund has yet to receive a single dollar. It’s time to change that!
BILLS TO WATCH
Budget Amendment 109#4s (Sen. Marsden): We support a budget amendment to fund the Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund, which would make it more cost-effective for solar developers to use already-disturbed sites. Created in 2021 to facilitate and award grants to renewable energy projects that are located on former industrial sites known as brownfields or previously coal-mined lands, this grant fund has yet to receive a single dollar. It’s time to change that!
HB 1883 (Callsen) SB 1040 (VanValkenburg): These bills do a number of things that either remove barriers to solar development or mandate development in the places where most folks say they want solar development to be focused. It increases the percentage of behind the meter solar, or small solar and battery systems, on a home or business and often sited on rooftops, that Dominion is required to develop. Twenty five percent of this behind the meter solar will need to be low-income qualifying projects, while also increasing the requirement of solar developed on previously disturbed lands like brownfields, previously mined lands, or landfills. Finally, it removes minimum size limits for power purchase agreements which is good for schools and churches that are interested in installing solar on their buildings.
- UPDATE: HB 1883 reported from the House Labor and Commerce Committee on a 22-0 vote with a substitute and now heads to the full chamber vote in the House of Delegates. Its third reading and vote will occur Jan. 29. SB 1040 has been referred to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
HB 2346 (Hernandez) SB 1100 (Hashmi): These bills direct Appalachian Power and Dominion to establish a virtual power plant pilot program to help meet peak demand and maintain reliability. A virtual power plant is a network of small-scale energy resources like smart thermostats, electric vehicles and solar arrays spread across homes and businesses that work together to provide power to the grid. This legislation increases upfront incentives to low-income customers. It also establishes a broader electric school bus program as part of grid transformation and utilizes incoming federal investments in clean energy more effectively.
- UPDATE: HB 2346 has been passed by the Labor and Commerce Subommittee #3 via a 7-3 vote. It will now be heard by the full committee. SB 1100 has been referred to the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee.
HB 2356 (Mundon King) SB 853 (Rouse): This pair of bills are aimed at ensuring that there are strong workforce development and wage standards on clean energy work sites. They require that public service companies, their contractors and subcontractors who are working on renewable energy projects larger than 1MW pay prevailing wages. Prevailing wage laws are beneficial in promoting high industry standards by ensuring market wages and benefits are going to all workers. These bills also require that 15% of the total labor hours on a project are performed by qualified apprentices to develop the next generation of the clean energy workforce and ensures a steady pipeline of Virginia electricians well trained in clean energy technologies.These bills also establish a penalty for companies that don’t comply.
UPDATE: HB 2356 has passed the House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #2 with a substitute via a 5-3 vote and referred to the House Finance and Appropriation Committee. SB 853 passed theSenate Commerce and Labor Committee and will have its third reading and vote by the Senate on Jan. 24.
Data centers
Currently, Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, producing 13% of all reported data center operational capacity globally, driving an unprecedented increase in energy demand. A state commission study recently found that if data center development continued at the unabated pace proposed by the industry, Virginia would nearly triple its electricity demand. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s 2024 study also found that to meet data center energy demand, Virginia would have to triple the amount of energy it imports from out of state and increase its transmission capacity by 40%. JLARC estimated that unregulated demand from data centers could add nearly $40 to Virginians’ monthly electricity bills over the next 15 years.
Appalachian Voices is participating in the Alliance for Responsible Data Center Growth to advocate for legislation to ensure that data center growth protects our communities and environment. We support legislation that:
- Protects customers of Virginia’s electric utility companies by making sure ratepayers are not subsidizing data centers by paying more for their electricity.
- Enhances transparency so that the data center industry and individual data center developers and operators are more open about energy use, water consumption, and emissions.
- Empowers state oversight over large new electricity users like data centers to ensure that our grid is reliable and continues on a path to zero emissions by mid-century.
- Ensures that any state tax incentives for data center developers and operators are contingent upon meeting state public interest goals, like energy efficiency and decarbonization.
BILLS TO WATCH
HB 2035 (Simonds): Directs Virginia Department of Environmental Quality to collect key environmental impact information from data center developers and publish it in an online “clearinghouse.”
- UPDATE: HB 2035 has been withdrawn from the House Labor & Commerce Subcommittee #3 docket.
HB 1601 (Thomas): Directs data center applicants to provide a noise study and other relevant environmental information to locality prior to a locality’s decision on any needed rezoning or special use permit.
- UPDATE: HB 1601 was passed by the House of Delegates on Jan. 23 via a 57-40 vote.
HB 2027 (Thomas): Requires any new load of 100 MW and higher (a “high load facility”) to obtain a Certificate of Operation from the SCC. The SCC may grant a Certificate if it finds: (i) the facility will not have any material adverse impact on other customers’ rates, (ii) the facility will not adversely impact reliability, (iii) the operation of the facility would meet certain clean energy requirements, and (iv) is not otherwise contrary to the public interest.
- UPDATE: HB 2027 failed to report out of the House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 on Jan. 16.
HB 2578 (Sullivan) / SB 1196 (Deeds): Would make Virginia’s generous sales and use tax exemption for data centers contingent upon (1) meeting operational energy efficiency standards, (2) meeting certain carbon requirements for needed generation, and (3) limiting the use of diesel generators for backup power. These two bills are a bit different from one another, but they share very similar goals.
- UPDATE:HB 2578 has not yet been docketed in the House Labor & Commerce Committee. SB 1196 has been referred to the SenateFinance and Appropriations Committee.
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND COAL IMPACTS
Bills that have an impact on the people, environment, communities and natural resources of Southwest Virginia.
BILLS TO WATCH
HB 1948 (Bulova) / SB 929 (Hackworth) This set of bills establish the Abandoned Mine Land Grant Retention Fund and requires eligible funds received under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to be deposited into the fund. It also authorizes the Virginia Department of Energy to provide grants for projects related protecting to public health, safety, and property from the adverse effects of coal mining practices.
- UPDATE: HB 1948 reported from the House Appropriations, Commerce Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee and the Appropriations Committee and will be heard by the full House. SB 929 has reported from Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources 14-0 and will be heard by the full Senate.
GOOD GOVERNANCE
We hope that our elected officials hold the highest personal standards and have their constituents in mind every time that they vote on a bill. But large corporations and wealthy individuals are permitted to contribute incredible sums of money to political candidates in Virginia. In 2024 and the first few weeks of 2025, investor-owned electric utilities in Virginia have contributed $5,471,655 to the elected officials that vote on bills that impact your rates, the type of technology that produces the energy and the associated pollution that has wide-ranging health, financial and environmental impacts across the Commonwealth.
BILLS TO WATCH
HB 2607 (Ware) Prohibits candidates, campaign committees, and political committees from soliciting or accepting contributions from any public utility.
- UPDATE: HB 2607 failed to report from the House Privileges and Elections, Campaign Finance Subcommittee.