Virginia's 2026 Legislative Session

Virginia’s 2026 Legislative Session

Our priorities for the 2026 General Assembly include defending the progress we’ve made on clean, affordable energy, keeping power bills in check, enacting safeguards to protect communities from methane gas pipeline leaks, encouraging the expansion of energy storage and putting in place common-sense safeguards around data center growth.

The 2026 General Assembly session begins on January 14 and ends in March. Watch this space for updates and action opportunities throughout the session! You can also check the official General Assembly website for more information.

Watch our preview webinar of the 2026 session!

Maintaining progress on clean, affordable energy

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 landmark clean energy policy. 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.

Plus, solar is Virginia’s least-cost energy source. To keep energy bills in check and protect the health of our communities from fossil fuel development we need more solar on schools and parking lots, landfills and former minelands, more shared solar and better residential solar permitting processes.

BILLS TO WATCH

OPPOSE: SB40 (Stanley) This bill eliminates a provision that makes Virginia’s clean energy standard enforceable.

UPDATE: SB 40 was defeated on February 12th!

OPPOSE: SB 69 (Peake) This bill repeals provisions of law that require regulation of carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. It would also eliminate barriers to new polluting power plants and get rid of policies encouraging clean energy development.

UPDATE: SB 69 failed to report from the Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources Committee in a 7-8 vote.

SUPPORT: SB 175 (VanValkenburg), HB 628 (Callsen)Increases the generation capacity for small scale distributed solar of 3MW or less, increases solar on brownfields and minelands required for Dominion to 1,000MW.

UPDATE: HB 628 reported from House Labor and Commerce subcommittee #3 7-0 with an amendment, reported 22-0 from the House Labor and Commerce committee and reported 98-0 in the full House! HB 628 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 9-6 with a substitute and the full Senate 22-18 with substitute.

UPDATE: SB 175 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 9-6 with a substitute and passed the full Senate 23-16! SB 175 reported from House Labor and Commerce 18-3 with amendment.

SUPPORT: HB 397 (Herring), SB 802 (Locke) Directs the DEQ to establish and maintain auctions in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

UPDATE: HB 397 reported from House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resource (ACNR), Natural Resources subcommittee 7-3 with a substitute, House ACNR committee 15-7 and the full House 65-35! It will next be heard in Senate ACNR.

UPDATE: SB 802 reported from Senate ACNR committee and was rereferred to Finance and Appropriations 8-6, where it reported 10-5 and passed the full Senate 21-19! SB 802 reported from House Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources 15-7.

SUPPORT: Budget Amendment: HB29, Item 365 #7h / SB29, Item 364 #1s. These budget amendments enumerate the steps that state agencies must take in order for Virginia to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

SUPPORT: Budget Amendment: HB30, Item 369 #1h / SB30, Item Forthcoming These budget amendments enumerate the steps that state agencies must take in order for Virginia to rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

SUPPORT: HB 809 (Sullivan), SB 254 (Surovell). Expands the Appalachian Power shared solar program by 50MW in 2026 and an additional 50MW by January of 2028. Fixes net crediting to improve the shared solar customer experience.

UPDATE: HB 809 reported from House Labor and Commerce subcommittee #3 6-0 with a substitute, House Labor and Commerce committee 22-0 and the full House 98-0! HB 809 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 8-6.

UPDATE: SB 254 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 9-5 and the full Senate 24-15. SB 254 reported from House Labor and Commerce committee 17-4.

Ensuring common-sense safeguards around data-center growth

Currently, Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world. The largest of these facilities, known as hyperscalers, often consume as much energy as a mid-sized city, 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 with no restrictions, Virginia would nearly triple its electricity demand. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission’s 2024 study also estimated that unmitigated demand from data centers could add nearly $40 to Virginians’ monthly electricity bills over the next 15 years.

BILLS TO WATCH

SUPPORT: HB 155 (Thomas), SB 619 (Srinivasan) 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.

UPDATE: HB 155 failed in House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 in a 9-0 vote.

UPDATE: SB 619 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 9-6,Senate Finance and Appropriations 11-4 and the full Senate 23-16.

SUPPORT: HB 284 (Feggans), SB 371 (McPike) Requires data centers to adjust their energy use during the hours of the year when electricity demand is at its peak to reduce the need for new power generation.

UPDATE: HB 284 reported from House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 8-1, the full committee 20-0 and the full House 97-0. HB 284 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 8-6 with a substitute and the full Senate 24-16 with a substitute..

UPDATE: SB 371 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 9-6 with a substitute and the full Senate 26-13.

SUPPORT: HB 658 (Maldonado), SB 339 (Perry) Directs the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to determine whether regular customers of Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Co. are paying for generation and transmission costs that were caused by data centers. Empowers the SCC to ensure that regular customers do not subsidize data center customers.

UPDATE: HB 658 failed in the House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 in a 7-2 vote.

UPDATE: SB 339 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor with a substitute 14-1.

SUPPORT: HB 589 (Simonds), SB 553 (Srinivasan) Requires aggregate data center water use to be disclosed to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

UPDATE: SB 553 reported from Senate Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources 9-4-1, and passed the Senate 25-15. It will be heard next in House ACNR. SB 553 reported from House ACNR 18-3-1.

UPDATE: HB 589 failed in the House ACNR Natural Resources Subcommittee in a 7-3 vote.

SUPPORT: HB 897 (Sullivan), SB 465 (Deeds) Would make Virginia’s generous sales and use tax exemption for data centers contingent upon: Meeting operational energy efficiency standards. Using cleaner energy (no new gas). Limiting the use of diesel generators for backup power.

UPDATE: HB 897 reported from House Finance with a substitute 16-5 and referred to Appropriations where it reported 16-5 and was rereferred to subcommittee where it reported 16-6, full Appropriations committee 16-6 and the full House 61-34.

Tell your legislators to put communities
before data centers!

Strengthening pipeline safety

Methane gas pipelines crisscross Virginia, putting nearby communities and the environment at risk. An essential part of keeping communities safe from operational gas pipelines is being able to quickly and easily prevent and detect leaks of methane gas. Virginia can do more to improve leak detection standards through common-sense safety measures like requiring annual leak detection surveys and reducing intentional methane emissions.

BILLS TO WATCH

SUPPORT: HB 1073 (Rasoul) Directs the SCC to develop regulations for advanced pipeline leak detection standards.

UPDATE: HB 1073 reported from House Labor and Commerce subcommittee #3 8-0 with an amendment, and House Labor and Commerce 22-0 and the full House 98-0! It will be heard next in Senate Commerce and Labor.

Tell your senator to
support gas pipeline safety!

Taking advantage of advancements in energy storage technology

A key aspect of the clean energy transition is storing the energy produced during sunny or windy days for later use in the evening or during peak demand time. The VCEA requires a modest development of battery energy storage, but expert studies show that the commonwealth must go farther. Recent modeling demonstrates that Virginia can meet high projections of increased electricity demand with clean energy, if we invest now in battery storage.

Why energy storage matters now:

Costs are falling fast. Battery energy storage is significantly cheaper than just a few years ago.

Technology has improved. Modern systems are more efficient, reliable and flexible with the ability to store enough electricity for short and long periods of time – even up to several days.

Solar is Virginia’s lowest-cost energy source. Storage allows utilities to use affordable solar power after the sun sets.

BILLS TO WATCH

SUPPORT: HB 895 (Sullivan), SB 448 (Bagby)Increases the short and long duration energy storage that Dominion and Appalachian Power are required to build or acquire by 2045. It also establishes a model ordinance and energy storage work group.

UPDATE: HB 895 reported with substitute from House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 6-2 with substitute, Appropriations subcommittee 6-1 and the full Appropriations committee 17-5 and the full House 65-32.

UPDATE: SB 448 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 9-6, Finance and Appropriations 12-3 and the full Senate 22-17.

SUPPORT: HB 1467 (Franklin) Establishes a 150MW virtual power plant (VPP) pilot program for Appalachian Power.

UPDATE: HB 1467 reported from House Labor and Commerce subcommittee #3 9-0 and House Labor and Commerce 22-0, and the full House 98-0! It will be next heard in Senate Commerce and Labor.

SUPPORT: HB 562 (Reid), SB 487 (McPike) Authorizes electric cooperatives to establish and implement VPP programs.

UPDATE: HB 562 reported from House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 9-0, House Labor and Commerce 22-0, and the full House 99-0 on February 2nd! HB 562 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 14-0 and the full Senate 39-1 with a substitute.

UPDATE: SB 487 reported from Commerce and Labor 14-0 and the full Senate 39-0! SB 487 reported from House Labor and Commerce 21-1 and the full House 96-0 with a substitute..

Keeping rising power bills in check

All across Virginia everyday folks are feeling the strain of rising electricity bills. After a recent ruling by the State Corporation Commission, customers of Dominion Energy will see their monthly bills increase on average by $11.24 in 2026. Appalachian Power customers’ monthly bills this spring will be almost $44 higher than in July 2022.

Energy affordability is a complex topic, but here are three ways legislators can help and the policies below will have an impact on Virginians’ bills.

Establish an energy efficiency task force to identify barriers that prevent people from taking advantage of energy efficiency programs and weatherization services — and recommend solutions. The General Assembly passed a bill doing just this with broad bipartisan support in 2025 before it was vetoed by Gov. Youngkin.
Let more Virginians opt in to programs that allow them to connect their smart appliances to the grid and save money when electric demand is high. The legislature can do this by expanding the virtual power plant program to include Appalachian Power territory and allow rural electric co-operatives to offer these programs.
Direct state regulators to stop utility companies from charging their customers extra when the company chooses to operate power plants in costly and inefficient ways. This is called uneconomic dispatch, and it’s a topic you’ll be hearing more about in the coming years.

BILLS TO WATCH

SUPPORT: SB5 (Locke), HB3 (LeVere-Bolling) Establishes a weatherization and low-income energy efficiency task force to identify barriers to participating in Virginia’s energy efficiency programs and ways to more effectively deliver energy efficiency and weatherization resources.

UPDATE: HB 3 reported from House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 in a 8-1 vote and the full House Labor and Commerce Committee 19-3 and the full House 78-18 on January 28! It will now be heard in Senate Commerce and Labor. HB 3 reported from Senate Commerce and Labor 14-1.

UPDATE: SB 5 reported from General Laws and Technology with substitute 14-0, Finance and Appropriations 15-0 and the full Senate 39-0! SB 5 reported from House Labor and Commerce 16-5 with amendment and the full House 72-24 with an amendment!

SUPPORT: HB 1360 (Shin) Directs the State Corporation Commission to investigate and remedy uneconomic dispatch by investor owned utilities and ensure coal and oil fueled power plants operate in a manner that serves the economic interests of ratepayers..

UPDATE: HB 1360 reported from House Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 with substitute 14-0, Labor and Commerce 21-1 and the full House 97-0.

Coal impacts

The story of Appalachia can’t be told without coal. Its impacts to the people, communities, water and landscape of the region is wide ranging and persists long after a mine closes. In Virginia, nearly 45,000 acres of former surface coal mines have yet to be remediated. These damaged lands negatively impact waterways and endanger nearby communities. Unfortunately, the current system of coal mine bonding is insufficient to cover the costs of reclamation, and is in need of an overhaul.