Dominion Solicits for 500MW of Renewables, Positioning Virginia as a Top Growth Market

Virginia’s largest utility strives to meet the demand of corporate customers.

Dominion Energy announced a solicitation for 500 megawatts of onshore wind and solar on Wednesday. The request for proposals stems from Virginia’s Grid Transformation & Security Act, which went into effect in July. In a plan tied to the law, Dominion will develop 3 gigawatts of clean energy by 2022. 

Regulators Reject Dominion’s 100% Renewable Energy Plan in Virginia

Clean energy advocates called the decision “a victory” for customers and competition in the state.

Virginia regulators have rejected a proposal from Dominion Energy to offer 100 percent renewable energy plans to large electricity customers in the state. 

The decision was praised by clean energy groups and retail suppliers that argued that approving the utility program would effectively eliminate third-party competition. Under current Virginia law, third-party companies can sell 100 percent renewable power directly to customers, unless the customer’s incumbent utility offers a separate 100 percent renewable tariff, like the one Dominion put forward.

Virginia Legislature Passes Sweeping Energy Bill

The bill rescinds a 2015 rate review freeze to defend consumers against potential Clean Power Plan costs, and calls for much larger and faster deployment of renewable energy.

Both houses of the Virginia Legislature have now approved HB 1558/SB 966, ‘Electric utility regulation; grid modernization, energy efficiency programs.’ The Senate version passed March 1, while the House passed their version on February 13th. It is expected to be signed by Governor Northam in the coming days.

In Virginia Push for Pumped Storage Hydro, Questions Arise About Viability

In a bid to boost the economy in Virginia’s coalfield region, legislation to be signed by Gov. Terry McAuliffe seeks to spur the development of pumped storage hydro electric power plants using water from abandoned coal mines.

While the companion bills in both the Senate and House of Delegates drew virtually unanimous support from both chambers, researchers, coal reclamation experts and even some renewable energy advocates say the idea is still unproven. While pumped storage facilities exist in Virginia and elsewhere, no plant drawing water from abandoned coal mines has been built anywhere in the world.

Virginia Lawmakers Push Back Slate of Clean Energy Bills into 2017

Virginia lawmakers had been considering a slate of clean energy and storage measures, but according to Greentech Media virtually all of the more than a dozen bills introduced in this session have been carried over into the 2017 term.

Only a bill backed by Dominion Energy, HB 1305, which includes a sales and use tax exemption and real and personal property tax exemption on solar and wind energy facilities, is still working its way through the session.

Virginia Lawmakers Punt on a Suite of Renewable Energy Bills

Legislation on community solar, net metering and third-party-owned solar was “carried over to 2017.”

Virginia lags well behind its neighboring states on renewable energy. With no tax credits or renewable energy certificate market to drive development, Virginia has yet to erect a wind farm, and the growing interest in solar has not translated into significant megawatts.

Legislators assure renewable energy industry members and advocates they are determined to make progress. But though the 2016 legislative session is not over yet, it appears there will be no policy reforms this year -- at least not on legislation championed by advocates of customer-owned and distributed renewable energy projects.

Virginia Lawmakers Mull Slew of Clean Energy, Storage Bills

As Virginia lawmakers weigh energy legislation, new measures were still being introduced and worked on in committee on Friday, Ivy Main, a state lobbyist with the Sierra Club, wrote in The Energy Collective.

Among others, Virginia lawmakers are considering bills to change local tax treatment for renewable energy, open investment access, broaden community solar initiatives, repeal standby charges for net metering, and develop energy storage programs and research consortiums. 

Virginia’s Coastline Could Soon Be Home To 2 GW Of Offshore Wind

DOI announced this week it will hold America’s second-ever competitive lease sale for offshore wind on the US Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) September 4th, for 112,800 acres in a prime development zone 23.5 miles from Virginia Beach. 

The announcement comes one week before DOI’s first competitive offshore wind lease auction is held for 164,750 acres for development off the coasts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island on July 31st, an event Interior Secretary Jewell has said could set the pace for future auctions.

Virginia utilities, lawmakers to reform renewable energy policy Read more: Virginia utilities, lawmakers to reform renewable energy policy

Virginia lawmakers, environmental groups and utilities are working to revamp the state's 2007 Electric Utility Re-Regulation Act, which is designed to bolster renewable energy generation.

Stakeholders want to reform loophole in the law allows utilities to receive financial credit for renewable energy investments made outside of Virginia.

Virginia: House GOP introduces job-creation agenda

The House Republican Caucus today unveiled their job creation agenda, a package of bills aimed at helping businesses secure capital, promoting research and development, extending tax breaks for start-ups and requiring competitive bidding on transportation projects.

The news conference, a new weekly meeting of the caucus's policy work group, highlighted four pieces of legislation:

House Bill 714, sponsored by Del. Terry G. Kilgore, R-Scott, would extend by two years the major business facility job tax credit set to expire at the end of the year.

Virginia: Wind clears the way for greener grid

Wind generators or windmills are sprouting up all over the United States.

They're part of a growing move to expand the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and the sun, to produce electricity.