# Virginia SB818: Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.

Virginia SB818, Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements., is a 2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by David R. Suetterlein (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-04-13 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0708)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB818-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia SB818
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: Senate
- Introduced: 2026-01-23
- Last action: 2026-04-13, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0708)
- Sponsor: David R. Suetterlein (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 7 (243 yes, 3 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 2

## Summary

Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill changes from five years to eighteen months the advance notice period required for such a customer to return to service by an incumbent electric utility. This bill is identical to HB 921.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- More electricity supplier choices for large businesses: benefit, medium. Virginia nonresidential customers can choose a licensed electricity supplier if their peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the last calendar year. The law removes the former cap tied to one percent of the utility's peak demand. It also removes the exclusion for customers whose demand exceeded…
- Shorter utility return notice, but new limits: mixed, low. Customers who bought from licensed suppliers after capped rates ended must give 18 months' written notice to return to their utility. This replaces five years, and the separate three-year rule for some utilities is removed. Virginia's State Corporation Commission can waive notice with clear and con…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: David R. Suetterlein (Republican), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-03 | House | Passed House | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-26 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce | pass | 18 | 3 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-16 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) | pass | 35 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-12 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute | pass | 15 | 0 |   |

## Actions (33)

- 2026-04-13: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0708) (Governor)
- 2026-04-13: Approved by Governor-Chapter 708 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB818) (Senate)
- 2026-03-10: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-10: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB818ER) (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Enrolled (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-03: Passed House (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-03-03: Read third time (House)
- 2026-03-02: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-26: Reported from Labor and Commerce (18-Y 3-N) (House)
- 2026-02-24: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-02-24: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-24: Placed on Calendar (House)
- 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB818) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Read third time and passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 3rd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Blank Action (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (35-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Committee substitute printed 26107834D-S1 (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Passed by for the day (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Senate committee offered (Senate)
- 2026-02-12: Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (15-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB818) (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-01-23: Presented and ordered printed 26105330D (Senate)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222315.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222314.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196075.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196074.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1147145.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1147144.PDF)
- Substitute, 2026-02-12: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145158.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145157.PDF)
- Introduced, 2026-01-23: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095780.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095779.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/1222315.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1222314.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196075.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1196074.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1147145.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1147144.PDF)
- [Substitute (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145158.HTML)
- [Substitute (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145157.PDF)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095780.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1095779.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)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB818-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).