VirginiaHB11512026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Electric utilities; duty to furnish adequate service, high-demand customers.

Sponsored By: Rodney T. Willett (Democratic)

Became Law

Summary

Electric utilities; delay in provision of service permitted. Provides that a distributor of electric energy may delay the provision of service if such delay is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability, to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or to ensure compliance with load interconnection policies or rules issued by the State Corporation Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to SB 423.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 2 mixed.

Unregulated power deals for 90+ MW users

Beginning July 1, 2027, an electric cooperative can meet its service duty through unregulated sales by its affiliates to very large customers. The customer must be in the cooperative’s certificated territory and contract for demand expected to exceed 90 megawatts. This mainly serves big industrial or data-center scale loads. Most homes and small businesses are not affected.

Utilities can delay service for reliability

Beginning July 1, 2027, electric distributors may delay starting or expanding service only to protect grid reliability. They can also delay to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity. They may pause service to follow interconnection rules from the state commission or FERC. This can delay move-ins, build-outs, or business projects when those limits apply.

Phone service: alternatives allowed, fewer extensions

Beginning July 1, 2027, phone companies can meet service duties using wireline or terrestrial wireless. They do not have to extend lines if other providers already offer service at prevailing market rates. If your wireline service is restored, the company must offer the wireline option. You or the company can ask the State Corporation Commission to decide if an available alternative is reasonably adequate. In areas the Commission finds competitive, it oversees service by tracking complaints and requiring fixes.

Faster rulings on utility rate experiments

Beginning July 1, 2027, the state commission must issue a final order on investor‑owned utilities’ petitions for voluntary rate tests within set deadlines. It must rule within six months of filing, or within three months after any hearing, whichever is earlier. This speeds decisions on pilot rates and designs. How any customer rates change depends on later case outcomes.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Rodney T. Willett

    Democratic • House

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 176 • No: 42

Senate vote 3/5/2026

Passed Senate Block Vote

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/4/2026

Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading)

Yes: 39 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/4/2026

Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

Yes: 0 • No: 0

Senate vote 3/2/2026

Reported from Commerce and Labor

Yes: 14 • No: 0

House vote 2/17/2026

Read third time and passed House

Yes: 65 • No: 32

House vote 2/12/2026

Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute

Yes: 13 • No: 7

House vote 2/10/2026

Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute

Yes: 6 • No: 3

Actions Timeline

  1. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0745)

    4/13/2026Governor
  2. Approved by Governor-Chapter 745 (Effective 7/1/2027)

    4/13/2026Governor
  3. Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB1151)

    4/6/2026House
  4. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

    3/14/2026Governor
  5. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026

    3/14/2026House
  6. Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1151ER)

    3/12/2026House
  7. Enrolled

    3/12/2026House
  8. Signed by President

    3/12/2026Senate
  9. Signed by Speaker

    3/12/2026House
  10. Passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/5/2026Senate
  11. Read third time

    3/5/2026Senate
  12. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

    3/4/2026Senate
  13. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

    3/4/2026Senate
  14. Rules suspended

    3/4/2026Senate
  15. Reported from Commerce and Labor (14-Y 0-N)

    3/2/2026Senate
  16. Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB1151)

    2/26/2026House
  17. Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

    2/18/2026Senate
  18. Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

    2/18/2026Senate
  19. Read third time and passed House (65-Y 32-N 0-A)

    2/17/2026House
  20. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

    2/16/2026House
  21. committee substitute agreed to

    2/16/2026House
  22. Read second time

    2/16/2026House
  23. Read first time

    2/15/2026House
  24. Committee substitute printed 26107715D-H1

    2/13/2026House
  25. Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (13-Y 7-N)

    2/12/2026House

Bill Text

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