Title 56, Public Service Companies

During the period of the Commonwealth's operation of any utility, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, the Governor shall observe the utility's previously established salaries, wages, conditions of employment, practices as to merit or length of service increases and as to …

The Governor may provide in such manner as he deems appropriate for the collection of the gross revenues accruing from the utility during the time of its operation by the Commonwealth. After payment of proper operating expenses and reimbursement of the Commonwealth for all expens…

Whenever the authorized representatives of any such utility shall notify the Governor, in writing, stating that the utility is in position to and can and will resume operations and render normal public service, and shall satisfy the Governor, or his designated agent of the correc…

The utility shall be entitled to receive reasonable, proper and lawful compensation for the use of its business, facilities and properties by the Commonwealth. In the event the parties in interest are unable to agree upon the amount of such compensation either party may file a pe…

The words "utilities" or "public utilities" when used in this chapter shall be construed to mean any person, partnership, association or corporation, engaged in the business of furnishing electric power, water, light, heat, gas, transportation or communication, or any one or more…

Any person violating any of the provisions of §§ 56-512, 56-515 or § 56-517 shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction of same shall be fined not less than $10 nor more than $1,000, and may be imprisoned in jail for not more than 12 months.

In addition to the remedies herein provided, the Governor is hereby authorized to apply to the Circuit Court of the City of Richmond or to any court mentioned in § 56-516 for, and such court shall have jurisdiction upon hearing and for cause shown to grant, a temporary or permane…

It shall be the duty of every attorney for the Commonwealth to whom the Governor shall report any violation of §§ 56-512, 56-515 or § 56-517 to cause proceedings to be prosecuted without delay for the fines and penalties in such cases. The Attorney General shall be charged with t…

With the exception of ferries nothing in this chapter shall apply to any express company, sleeping car company, common carrier engaged in interstate commerce by railroad or by air or to any company which is directly or indirectly owned or controlled by any carrier by railroad.

Nothing in this chapter shall be considered or construed as in any way questioning or impairing the constitutional or statutory powers of the Governor as commander in chief of the land and naval forces of the Commonwealth.

As used in this chapter, which may be cited as the "Small Investor-Owned Telephone Utility Act": "Commission" means the "State Corporation Commission." "Small investor-owned telephone utility" means any investor-owned public utility (other than a cooperative) which serves fewer t…

A. Any change in any rate, toll, charge, fee, rule, or regulation (hereafter collectively referred to as tariffs) of a small investor-owned telephone utility shall become effective thirty days after notice has been mailed to each customer unless: 1. A protest or objection is file…

Every small investor-owned telephone utility shall be subject to Chapters 1 (§ 56-1 et seq.), 2 (§ 56-49 et seq.), 10 (§ 56-232 et seq.), 10.1 (§ 56-265.1 et seq.), 10.3 (§ 56-265.14 et seq.) and 15 (§ 56-458 et seq.) of this title, except that the obligations of small investor-o…

This chapter is to be liberally construed, and any provisions of other laws in conflict with the provisions of this chapter shall not apply to small investor-owned telephone utilities operating hereunder.

This chapter may be cited as the "Virginia Highway Corporation Act of 1988."

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Board" means the Commonwealth Transportation Board. "Certificate" means the certificate of authority awarded pursuant to this chapter which allows operation of a roadway. "Commission" means the State Corpo…

The General Assembly finds that there is a compelling public need for rapid construction of safe and efficient highways for the purpose of travel within the Commonwealth and that it is in the public interest to encourage construction of additional, safe, convenient, and economic …

No person may construct, operate or enlarge any roadway, as defined in § 56-536, within the Commonwealth without first having obtained a certificate of authority from the Commission authorizing such construction, operation or enlargement.

A. Any person may apply to the Commission for a certificate of authority to construct or operate a roadway, or to extend or enlarge a roadway for which a certificate has been issued under this chapter. If the Commission determines in writing, after notice and opportunity for a he…

The Commission may charge a reasonable application fee to cover the costs of processing, reviewing, and approving or denying the application. The application for a certificate of authority shall contain the following material and information: 1. The geographic area to be served b…

The power of eminent domain shall not be exercised by the operator for the purpose of acquiring any lands or estates or interests therein, nor any other property used by the operator for the construction or enlargement of a roadway pursuant to this chapter.

A. As used in this section: "CPI" means the Consumer Price Index U.S. City Averages for All Urban Consumers, All Items (not seasonally adjusted) as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics; however, if the CPI is modified such that the base year of the…

A. The operator shall have all power allowed by law generally to persons having the same form of organization as the operator, including, without limitation, the authority to operate the roadway and charge tolls for the use thereof, and may pledge any revenue net of operational e…

A. The applicant for a certificate of authority to construct or enlarge a roadway pursuant to this chapter shall first secure the approval of the Board for the project, the project construction costs, the location and design of the roadway, and its connection with any road under …

Any operator who constructs, operates or enlarges a roadway pursuant to this chapter shall secure and maintain a policy or policies of public liability insurance in form and amount satisfactory to the Commission and sufficient to insure coverage of tort liability to the public an…

A. Prior to the issuance of a certificate of authority by the Commission and contemporaneously with the filing of any application materials with the Commission, the applicant shall provide the local governing body of each jurisdiction through which any part of the roadway passes …

The applicant shall include in the application a list of public utility facilities and rights-of-way to be crossed or otherwise affected in the construction of the roadway and a plan and schedule for such crossings. The operator and each public utility whose works are to be cross…

No crossing of a railway, highway, street, road or alley shall be at grade, but shall pass above or below the railway, highway, street, road, or alley, and such crossings are hereby permitted, subject to the provisions of this chapter.

In the event of material and continuing default in the performance of the operator's construction or operation duties or failure of the operator to comply with the terms of its agreement with the Department, in either case, after notice thereof and an opportunity to cure, or in t…

A. The roadways and highways constructed or operated under this chapter may be policed in whole or in part by officers of the Department of State Police, even though all or some portion of any such projects lie within the corporate limits of a municipality or other political subd…

Within ninety days of the completion and closing of the original permanent financing, the operator shall provide full details of the financing, including the terms of all bonds, to the Commission; and shall certify the term of the original permanent financing and its termination …

There shall be a fund established by the Commonwealth Transportation Board, from the toll revenues described in this section, for the purpose of funding transportation improvements which are related to or affected by the toll road. Toll rates shall be set in multiples of five cen…

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Competitive local exchange telephone company" means (i) a competing telephone company, excluding a city, town, or county, that was granted a certificate on or after January 1, 1996, pursuant to § 56-265.4:…

Any telephone company meeting the definition of a competitive telephone company may elect to be regulated as a competitive telephone company pursuant to the provisions of this chapter by providing written notice to the Commission of such election. The election shall be effective …

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Commission shall not have any jurisdiction and authority, including jurisdiction and authority over any obligation of a competitive telephone company to seek approval from the Commission, to regulate, supervise, or promulgate rules …

A. The Commission may ensure competitive telephone companies provide reasonably adequate retail voice service, including rendering timely and accurate bills for service, by receiving customer complaints and requiring the competitive telephone company to reasonably address bona fi…

A. A competitive telephone company that is an incumbent telephone carrier shall have the duty in its incumbent territory to extend or expand its facilities to furnish retail voice service and facilities when the person, firm, or corporation does not have service available from on…

The Commission shall have no jurisdiction or authority over (i) schedules of rates for any telecommunications service provided to the public by virtue of any contract with, (ii) any service provided under or relating to a contract for telecommunications services with, or (iii) co…

This chapter may be cited as the "Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act of 1994."

For the purposes of this chapter: "Hazardous liquid" means "hazardous liquid" and "highly volatile liquid" as defined in 49 C.F.R. § 195.2. "Person" means an individual, corporation, partnership, association or other business entity or a trustee, receiver, assignee, or personal r…

A. The Commission is authorized to act for the United States Secretary of Transportation to implement the federal Hazardous Liquid Pipeline Safety Act, 49 U.S.C. § 60101 et seq., with respect to intrastate and interstate pipelines located within the Commonwealth to the extent aut…

As used in this chapter: "Affiliate" means any person that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with an electric utility. "Aggregator" means a person that, as an agent or intermediary, (i) offers to purchase, or purchases, electric energy or (ii) offers to arran…

A. Retail competition for the purchase and sale of electric energy shall be subject to the following provisions: 1. Each incumbent electric utility owning, operating, controlling, or having an entitlement to transmission capacity shall join or establish a regional transmission en…

A. The Commission shall conduct a pilot program under which two or more nonresidential customers that, as of February 25, 2019, had filed applications seeking to aggregate their load pursuant to subdivision A 4 of § 56-577 within the service territory of a Phase II Utility, as th…

A. All distributors shall have the obligation to connect any retail customer, including those using distributed generation, located within its service territory to those facilities of the distributor that are used for delivery of retail electric energy, subject to Commission rule…

A. As set forth in § 56-577, each incumbent electric utility owning, operating, controlling, or having an entitlement to transmission capacity shall join or establish a regional transmission entity, which hereafter may be referred to as "RTE," to which such utility shall transfer…