# Virginia SB175: Renewable energy portfolio standard program; requirements, power purchase agreements.

Virginia SB175, Renewable energy portfolio standard program; requirements, power purchase agreements., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0646)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB175-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB175
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Renewable energy portfolio standard program; requirements, power purchase agreements.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-08
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0646)
- Sponsor: Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 8 (206 yes, 46 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 11

## Summary

Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements; power purchase agreements. Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of one megawatt or less located in the Commonwealth. The bill changes from 2025 to 2027 the compliance year beginning in which at least 75 percent of renewable energy certificates used by Dominion Energy Virginia shall come from eligible resources located in the Commonwealth. The bill also removes the requirement for a solar-powered or wind-powered generation facility to have a capacity of no less than 50 kilowatts to qualify for a third party power purchase agreement under a pilot program. The bill directs the State Corporation Commission, by July 1, 2033, to initiate a proceeding to evaluate the future availability of renewable energy certificates from certain resources and permits the Commission to increase or decrease by up to one percentage point the percentage of program requirements to be met by such resources in future compliance years. The bill provides that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to encourage development on previously developed project sites, as defined in existing law, to reduce the land use impacts of solar development. This bill is identical to HB 628.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Customers gain smaller renewable contract options: benefit, low. The pilot lets eligible customers buy solar or wind power through third-party agreements without the former 50-kilowatt minimum. Each facility can be no larger than 3 megawatts, must sit on premises the customer owns or leases, and serve only that customer. Each pilot utility has separate 500-megaw…
- Legacy renewable subscribers avoid some costs: benefit, low. Some accelerated renewable buyers on a Phase II utility's specified experimental tariff avoid new solar, onshore-wind, and storage costs. They must have been subscribed on March 1, 2020. Their tariff must have required a renewable facilities agreement and purchases of at least 2,000 renewable attri…
- Shortfall payments fund training and energy: benefit, low. The Department of Energy holds renewable shortfall payments in an interest-bearing account and directs them to specified uses. Historically economically disadvantaged communities receive 50% for job training and 30% for renewable energy programs. Another 16% funds energy-efficiency work at public f…
- Early supplier switchers avoid renewable charges: benefit, low. Certain early competitive-supply customers avoid specified renewable charges while they do not buy electric energy from their utility. Phase II customers must have had peak demand above 100 megawatts in 2019 and elected competitive supply before April 1, 2019. Phase I customers must have elected co…
- Renewable buyers get targeted charge exemptions: benefit, low. Certified accelerated renewable buyers get proportional exemptions from renewable compliance charges based on their contracts and annual electricity use. Offshore-wind charges remain, and buying certificates alone generally does not exempt buyers from new solar, wind, or storage costs. Eligible gen…
- Utilities pay for renewable energy shortfalls: cost, medium. Utilities must make shortfall payments when they cannot meet renewable requirements or needed certificate costs exceed $45 per megawatt-hour. The base payment is $45 per megawatt-hour of shortfall. It is $75 for shortfalls involving qualifying Virginia solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources…
- Electric customers pay renewable compliance costs: cost, low. Virginia customers of Phase I and Phase II utilities pay covered renewable compliance costs through a charge they cannot avoid by switching suppliers. These costs include covered generation, energy purchases, and renewable energy certificates. Specific exemptions apply to qualifying renewable buyer…
- Utilities build storage with ownership limits: mixed, high. By December 31, 2035, Phase I utilities must seek approval for 400 megawatts of storage, and Phase II utilities for 2,700 megawatts. The Commission can approve more capacity. Competitive purchasing is required, with projects capped at 500 megawatts except one Phase II project of up to 800 megawatts…
- Utilities expand Virginia solar and wind: mixed, high. By December 31, 2035, each Phase II utility must seek approval for 16,100 megawatts of Virginia solar or onshore wind. At least 1,000 megawatts must use previously developed sites. Within the 1,100-megawatt small-solar portion, projects cannot exceed 3 megawatts, and 65% must come from owners other…
- Utilities face revised Virginia certificate rules: mixed, medium. Starting in compliance year 2027, at least 75% of certificates used by Phase II utilities must come from eligible Virginia resources. The law delays this in-state requirement from 2025 to 2027. Virginia falling-water facilities that began commercial operation before July 1, 2024, qualify as renewab…
- Utilities reserve demand for small renewables: mixed, medium. Phase II utilities must meet 4.5% of renewable requirements with qualifying small Virginia projects in 2026–2030, rising to 5% in 2031–2045. Eligible solar, wind, and anaerobic digestion projects cannot exceed 1 megawatt, or 3,000 kilowatts across one site or adjoining sites under the same or affil…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Schuyler T. VanValkenburg (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | House amendment agreed to by Senate | pass | 23 | 16 |   |
| 2026-03-03 | House | Passed House with amendment | pass | 93 | 5 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) | pass | 18 | 3 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate | pass | 23 | 16 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-11 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 40 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-09 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute | pass | 9 | 6 |   |

## Actions (35)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0646) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0646) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0646) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 646 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-23: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB175) (Senate)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-11: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB175ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-11: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: House amendment agreed to by Senate (23-Y 16-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-03: Passed House with amendment (93-Y 5-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-03: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-03-03: committee amendment agreed to (House)
- 2026-03-03: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-02: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-26: Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) (18-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-02-18: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-18: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-13: Read third time and passed Senate (23-Y 16-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB175) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-11: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-10: Committee substitute printed 26107441D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-09: Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (9-Y 6-N) (Senate)
- 2026-01-25: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB175) (Senate)
- 2026-01-08: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-01-08: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104645D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221486.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221485.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-11: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201071.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201070.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-03-03: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190867.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-27: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185550.HTML)
- Substitute, 2026-02-10: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136014.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136013.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135514.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135513.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-08: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083654.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083653.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221486.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221485.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201071.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201070.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1190867.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1185550.HTML)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136014.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1136013.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135514.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1135513.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083654.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1083653.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB175-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).