Title 56, Public Service Companies

A. In all relevant proceedings pursuant to this Act, the Commission shall take into consideration, among other things, the goal of economic development in the Commonwealth. B. By September 1 of each year, the Commission shall report to the Energy Commission of Virginia and the Go…

It is the objective of the General Assembly that the construction and development of new utility-owned and utility-operated generating facilities utilizing energy derived from sunlight and from wind with an aggregate capacity of 5,000 megawatts, including rooftop solar installati…

A. Notwithstanding subsection G of § 56-580, or any other provision of law, each incumbent investor-owned electric utility shall develop proposed energy efficiency programs. Any program shall provide for the submission of a petition or petitions for approval to design, implement,…

A. Each Phase I and Phase II Utility, as such terms are defined in subdivision A 1 of § 56-585.1, shall submit a petition for approval to design, implement, and operate a three-year program of energy conservation measures providing incentives to low-income, elderly, and disabled …

A. The Commission shall establish for Phase II Utilities annual energy efficiency savings targets for customers who are low-income, elderly, disabled, or veterans of military service to be achieved through utility energy efficiency programs (low-income energy efficiency savings p…

A. As used in this section: "Installer" means any entity that directly provides energy efficiency or weatherization upgrades to low-income residents in the Commonwealth and that receives federal, state, or utility funding from a Phase I or Phase II Utility, in whole or in part, t…

The Commission shall submit a report and make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly annually on or before December 1 of each year assessing (i) the reliability of electrical transmission or distribution systems; (ii) the integration of utility or customer owned…

A. For the purposes of this section, "Phase II Utility" has the same meaning as provided in subdivision A 1 of § 56-585.1. B. Upon request of a locality located within the service territory of a Phase II Utility, a Phase II Utility shall provide local reliability data within 30 d…

A. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the rates for electric generation and distribution services by a Phase I Utility, as defined in subdivision A 1 of § 56-585.1, shall not be increased during the months of November through February. B. Notwithstanding any other provis…

A. As used in this section: "Hosting capacity" means the amount of aggregate generation that can be accommodated on the electric distribution system without any infrastructure upgrades. "Program" means the distribution cost sharing program established pursuant to this section. "Q…

A. As used in this section: "Capacity reduction credit" means a measured and verified standard unit of demand flexibility as approved by the Commission pursuant to this section. "Cooperative" means a utility consumer services cooperative organized under Article 1 (§ 56.231.15 et …

A. As used in this section, "small portable solar generation device" means a moveable photovoltaic generation device that (i) has a maximum power output of not more than 1,200 watts per customer or, in the case of multi-family housing, per residential building unit; (ii) is desig…

As used in this chapter: "Advanced conductors" means high-temperature low-sag hardware technology that can conduct electricity across transmission lines and that demonstrates enhanced performance over traditional conductor products. "Advanced conductors" includes aluminum conduct…

An integrated resource plan shall: 1. Integrate, over the planning period, the electric utility's forecast of demand for electric generation supply with recommended plans to meet that forecasted demand and assure adequate and sufficient reliability of service, including: a. Gener…

A. Beginning in 2027 for a Phase II Utility and in 2028 for a Phase I Utility, and triennially thereafter, each electric utility shall file an updated integrated resource plan by October 15. For any year in which a Phase I or Phase II Utility files such updated integrated resourc…

As used in this chapter: "Allowed distribution revenue" means the average annual, weather-normalized, nongas commodity revenue per customer associated with the rates in effect as adopted in the applicable utility's last Commission-approved rate case or performance-based regulatio…

A. Consistent with the objectives pertaining to the energy issues and policy elements stated in § 45.2-1706.1, it is in the public interest to authorize and encourage the adoption of natural gas conservation and ratemaking efficiency plans that promote the wise use of natural gas…

A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, each natural gas utility shall have the option to file a conservation and ratemaking efficiency plan as provided in this chapter. Such a plan may include one or more residential, small commercial, or small general service c…

As used in this chapter: "Commission" means the State Corporation Commission. "Eligible infrastructure replacement" means natural gas utility facility replacement projects that: (i) enhance safety or reliability by reducing system integrity risks associated with customer outages,…

A. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, a natural gas utility may file a SAVE plan as provided in this chapter. Such a plan shall provide for a timeline for completion of the proposed eligible infrastructure replacement projects, the estimated costs of the propo…

As used in this chapter: "Eligible infrastructure" means storage, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas, transmission and distribution facilities to be used in the delivery of natural gas, or supplemental or substitute forms of gas sources by a natural gas utility. "Eligi…

Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary when the requirements set forth in the definition of qualifying project have been satisfied: 1. The natural gas utility certificated to serve the subject service territory may construct the necessary facilities subject to the p…

A. A natural gas utility shall account for the actual monthly EIDC incurred on the cumulative investment in eligible infrastructure in excess of any aid to construction contributed by the developer of the project or the person that will occupy the proposed project as a deferred c…

The transportation and storage quantities of the contracts entered into by a natural gas utility for the acquisition of upstream pipeline capacity to meet the reasonably anticipated service requirements of the qualifying projects and other service requirements to be served throug…

A. As used in this section, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Eligible natural gas supply infrastructure costs" includes the investment in eligible natural gas supply infrastructure projects and the following: 1. Return on the investment. In calculating the return…

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise: "Affected customer" means any customer of a natural gas utility receiving service at a premises served by eligible system expansion infrastructure. Any customer receiving natural gas service for which the natural gas…

A. Notwithstanding the provisions of § 56-235.4, a natural gas utility may file a system expansion plan as provided in this chapter. Such a plan shall provide for (i) a business rationale explaining that the expansion plan is in the public interest and of benefit to the affected …

A. A natural gas utility shall account for the difference between actual monthly eligible system expansion infrastructure costs incurred on the cumulative investment in eligible system expansion infrastructure and revenue collected through a system expansion rider as a deferred c…

In recognition of the importance of environmentally responsible practices when constructing utility infrastructure in the Commonwealth, each construction project that is undertaken pursuant to the provisions of this chapter shall be completed in compliance with the current Annual…

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "Distribution facilities" includes poles and wires, or cables, or pipelines or other underground conduits by which a renewable generator is able to (i) supply electricity generated at its renewable energy f…

A. Every renewable generator shall have authority to occupy and use the public roads, works, turnpikes, streets, avenues, and alleys in any county, with the consent of the board of supervisors or other governing authority thereof, or in any incorporated city or town, with the con…

A. Any incorporated city or town may impose upon a renewable generator any terms and conditions consistent herewith and supplemental hereto, as to the occupation and use of its streets, avenues, and alleys, and as to the construction and maintenance of the distribution facilities…

A. Notwithstanding any other provisions of law, there is hereby established a public rights-of-way use fee to be charged in lieu of any and all fees of general application, except for zoning, subdivision, site plan, and comprehensive plan fees of general application, otherwise ch…

A. Renewable generators shall be reimbursed 100 percent of the eligible cost of relocating distribution facilities installed in the public rights-of-way, for the first three years after the completion of the installation, that are incurred at the direction of a locality that impo…

Whenever a renewable generator is required by the Commonwealth Transportation Board or the Commissioner of Highways to remove any part of its distribution facilities off of the right-of-way of a road now or hereafter included in the primary or secondary state highway system, or i…

The consent required under § 56-615, when given, shall be by ordinance regularly adopted by the council or other governing body of the city or town or by resolution regularly adopted and spread upon the minutes by the board of supervisors or other governing authority of the count…

The actual costs and expenses of the Commonwealth for the inspection or coordination of the construction or installation of any of the distribution facilities of the renewable generator, under the provisions of this chapter, under any permit of the Commonwealth Transportation Boa…

A renewable generator may contract with any person that owns lands, or any interest, franchise, privilege, or easement therein or in respect thereto, over which distribution facilities are proposed to be constructed, for the right-of-way for erecting, repairing, and preserving it…

All posts, poles, wires, cables, lines, pipelines, conduits, and other distribution facilities erected under any authority conferred by this chapter shall be so located as in no way to obstruct or interfere with public travel or the ordinary use of, or the safety and convenience …

The portions of the surface of the roads, turnpikes, streets, avenues, or alleys, or of any pavements opened up or disturbed in erecting, repairing, laying, or replacing distribution facilities under the provisions of this chapter shall be immediately restored to and maintained i…

A. As used in this section: "Biogas" has the same meaning as set forth in § 56-248.1. "Biogas facilities" means biogas reserves; production facilities, including equipment required to prepare the biogas for use; gathering of, transmission of, and, within the natural gas utility's…

As used in this chapter, unless the context requires a different meaning: "EIRE" means eligible infrastructure replacement and enhancement. "EIRE plan" means a plan filed by a utility that identifies proposed eligible infrastructure projects and an EIRE rider. "EIRE rider" means …

A. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, a utility may petition the Commission for the approval of an EIRE plan as provided in this chapter. Such a plan shall (i) provide for a timeline for completion of the proposed eligible infrastructure projects, the estimated…

The following terms, whenever used or referred to in this article, shall have the following meanings, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: "Acquire" means and includes construct, or acquire by purchase, lease, devise, gift or the exercise of the power of e…

A. Any number of natural persons not less than five may, by executing, filing and recording articles of incorporation as hereinafter set forth, form a cooperative, either with or without capital stock, not organized for pecuniary profit, for the principal purpose of making energy…

A. The articles of incorporation mentioned in § 56-231.16 shall be entitled and endorsed "Articles of Incorporation of the........ Electric Cooperative" or "Articles of Incorporation of the........ Utility Consumer Services Cooperative" (the blank space being filled in with the d…