Virginia Solar & Energy Storage 2022 Legislative Update

Video Summary:

Brad Nowak, Patrick Cushing, and Chris McDonald of Williams Mullen discuss an overview of recently passed legislation pertaining to solar and energy storage during Virginia’s 2022 General Assembly. This program covers the status of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), amendments to the Permit By Rule (PBR) statute, updates to American Electric Power’s participation in municipal net energy metering pilot program, the creation of a stakeholder workgroup to evaluate shared solar programs in American Electric Power and Virginia electric cooperative territories and a task force to analyze the life cycle of renewable energy facilities, and touches on Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s (VDEQ) March 29, 2022 memo, which states that effective immediately, solar panels will be evaluated as impervious surface for calculating stormwater retention.

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The Virginia General Assembly passed several important pieces of legislation affecting the solar and energy storage industry during its 2022 legislative session. Click here to join us on Thursday, March 31, from 11:00 – 11:30 am (ET) for an informative webinar for an update on recently passed legislation pertaining to solar and energy storage in Virginia.

The webinar will be hosted by Brad Nowak, co-chair of Williams Mullen’s Solar & Energy Storage team, where he will be joined by Patrick Cushing, vice chair of Williams Mullen’s Government Relations Group, and Chris McDonald, director of Government Relations.

What you will learn about:

• General overview of the 2022 General Assembly session, including status of proposed bills to repeal or revise the Virginia Clean Economy Act
• Amendment to the permit by rule (PBR) statute to require an analysis of beneficial and adverse impacts of a proposed project on natural resources (HB 206)
• Local land use approval extension (HB 272 / SB 501)
• Updates to American Electric Power’s participation in municipal net energy metering pilot program and creation of similar requirements for a municipal net energy metering pilot program for Dominion Energy (HB 396)
• Creation of a task force to analyze the life cycle of renewable energy facilities in Virginia (HB 774 / SB 499)
• Generation of electricity and energy development in the Commonwealth (HB 894)
• Local taxation for solar photovoltaic projects 5 MWs or less (HB 1087 / SB 502)
• Renewable energy certificates; priority of procurement (HB 1204)
• Energy performance-based contracts; roof replacement (SB 13)
• Electric cooperatives; net energy metering; power purchase agreements; local facilities usage charges (HB 266 / SB 505)
• Creation of a stakeholder workgroup to evaluate shared solar programs in American Electric Power and Virginia electric cooperative territories (SB 660)