Public Comments for 02/03/2026 Labor and Commerce - Subcommittee #3
HB429 - Electric utilities; integrated resource plans.
No Comments Available
HB508 - Small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition, report.
No Comments Available
HB770 - Public utilities; water and sewerage companies, discounted rates for low-income customers.
No Comments Available
HB884 - Electric utilities; Percentage of Income Payment Program, eligibility.
Last Name: Colvin Organization: Protect Catlett Locality: Fauquier County, Catlett, VA

HB884 - Electric utilities and licensed suppliers of electricity; transparency around votes and positions with regional transmission entities. I support this bill. There is most definitely a need for transparency around how our utilities are voting at the RTO. 3 years ago, my husband and I co-founded an organization to object to 5 data centers in our village of Catlett. I am completely disappointed that up until this point, we do not have transparency !

HB892 - Electric utilities; integrated resource plans; SCC to investigate electric load forecasts.
No Comments Available
HB893 - Electric utility integrated resource planning; energy storage resources, power flow model.
No Comments Available
HB898 - Electric, gas, water, & wastewater utilities; disconnection for nonpayment, certain fees prohibited.
No Comments Available
HB899 - Small renewable energy projects; agrivoltaics definition, advisory panel.
Last Name: Cordesman Locality: Herndon

I have had a solar system for several years in Herndon, and only recently did Dominion start imposing the demand and standby fees. These fees bear no resemblance to any reasonable cost incurred by Dominion for the supposed volatility introduced by my system. The fees are imposed regardless of the time of day, or time of year, and are not proportional to what is happening in the real world with other consumer demands. To be concise I will give one example: If my neighbor across the street without solar panels decides to have his heat pump on, his oven on, and is charging his car at the same time he just added at least 25kW of load. Since he doesn't have solar panels he pays no premium to Dominion for this sudden increase in demand, but since I do, I would pay hundreds of dollars for doing this for just half an hour.

Last Name: Godinez Locality: Montagny-Les-Monts

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Last Name: Stanborough Locality: Charlottesvilke

Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

Last Name: Cherry Organization: Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Coalition - MAREC Action Locality: Raleigh, NC

MAREC Action is opposed to HB 899 because it will make it more difficult to site utility scale-solar project. In addition this bill infringes of the property rights of land owners to what they want with their land. With increasing demand and aging infrastructure driving electric bills higher, solar is the fastest and least expensive source of new electricity to deploy. MAREC Action supports the co-location of agriculture and solar energy; they are compatible with multi-use sites but anything that mandates that co-location is a concern and raises costs.

HB921 - Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.
No Comments Available
HB1002 - Electric utilities; disconnection procedures for nonpayment.
Last Name: Campblin Organization: NAACP Virginia State Conference Locality: Fairfax

SUPPORT HB1002 ensures that vulnerable populations are not left without essential services during times of need and emergencies by prohibiting utility disconnections due to nonpayment . Requiring utilities to provide notices in multiple languages also enhances accessibility and ensures that all customers are properly informed of assistance and energy savings programs availability.

HB1062 - Energy upgrade programs; implementation plans, capital investment requirements, cost recovery.
No Comments Available
HB1077 - Electric utilities; SCC to investigate financial incentives, renewable energy portfolio standard.
No Comments Available
HB1090 - Electric utilities; emissions intensity target program.
No Comments Available
HB1175 - Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities.
No Comments Available
HB1191 - Utility consumer services cooperatives; substation construction.
No Comments Available
HB1225 - Transportation electrification; integrated resource planning, fast-charging stations, etc.
No Comments Available
HB1255 - Net energy metering; standby charge, facility capacity.
Last Name: Praileau Organization: Solar United Neighbors Action Locality: Norfolk

Standby (“Demandˮ) Charges are a monthly fee for Dominion customers with solar systems that have an export to the grid of 15 kW AC or more. This charge is not based on the amount kWhʼs consumed, but rather it is based on the peak demand (kW) during a billing cycle. It is very hard to control and monitor on the consumer end. Problem: This standby charge is an unfair “solar taxˮ on solar owners. Dominion has not shown an extra cost of service to serve solar customers, let alone solar customers with larger solar systems. Standby fees have traditionally only been applied to much larger electric customers. ● The standby fee is overly complicated and very difficult for customers to understand and calculate. It relies on a long formula with 10 different amounts, some found by reading Dominion tariffs, others based on customer usage and the max 30 minute demand over a billing cycle. ● The current 15 kW AC limit leads to undersizing of solar systems. The $25-50/month standby fee for larger systems prevents customers from building these systems. This is economically inefficient. It reduces the amount of local clean energy funded with private capital that is being put on the grid at a time when Virginia needs all of the power it can get. ● Increasing rooftop solar provides value to the grid and Virginians. State policy should support more rooftop solar, by getting rid of the standby fee or at least increasing the size that triggers it to 20 kWac as done by HB 1255. The 2026 report Value of Distributed Energy Resources (full report, webpage) in Virginia notes that increasing distributed energy resources like rooftop solar could provide $288 million in net benefits equating to $90 per Virginian each year. ● National experts including the Regulatory Assistance Project note that residential demand charges are less efficient and less equitable than time-of-use rates.1 In the “Charge without a cause?ˮ report, experts note: “Residents … are very diverse in their use of electricity …[and] most small consumersʼ individual peak usage does not actually occur during [system] peak... This means that traditional demand charges tend to overcharge the individual small consumer." To help address rising energy costs, increasing the threshold from 15 kW to 20 kW would allow more Virginians to properly size their systems, reap the maximum benefits of energy demand offsetting from their systems, and increase the amount of distributed generation to the grid that solar provides the utility. Solar United Neighbors Action strongly supports this bill.

Last Name: Strait Locality: Fairfax County

Summary of Testimony in Support of HB1255 As a Herndon resident in Delegate Irene Shin’s district, I strongly endorse HB1255, which raises the residential solar net metering standby charge threshold from 15 kW to 20 kW in Dominion Energy’s territory. My experience with a Tesla solar roof and Powerwall system highlights the flaws in the current setup: despite investing heavily in renewables to power my home and electric vehicles with minimal carbon impact, I’ve faced monthly standby fees up to $75. These charges, meant to fund grid infrastructure, ironically penalize users like me who eliminate peak demand by self-powering during high-load times and exporting excess clean energy to the grid. Instead of rewards, I get eroded savings, extended payback periods, and a flawed credit system where unused peak credits expire at pennies on the dollar. To cope, I’ve reprogrammed chargers for slower overnight EV charging, often leaving cars undercharged for days, and avoided daytime loads—all while shifting usage to off-peak as encouraged, only to see fees spike from low-demand draws. This system discourages solar adoption at scale, contradicting Virginia’s clean energy goals under the Virginia Clean Economy Act. HB1255 offers a commonsense fix, removing barriers to larger systems, boosting ROI, jobs, and grid resilience. For a detailed account of my challenges and the visionary path forward to a smart, multifaceted energy future, please read the attached full testimony. I urge passage of this vital bill to empower Virginians toward sustainability.

Last Name: Bassett Organization: Sheetz, Inc. Locality: Plain City

My name is Jason Bassett, and I am submitting this testimony on behalf of Sheetz in support of HB 1225. Sheetz is a family-owned business that employs over 4,000 people in Virginia and operates approximately 115 locations across the Commonwealth with plans to add dozens more over the next five years. Our business model has always focused on providing affordable, reliable fuel and services in safe and accessible locations. As transportation continues to evolve, we believe electricity will play an increasingly important role as a transportation fuel, and Sheetz is actively evaluating opportunities to invest in EV charging infrastructure in Virginia. We appreciate Delegate Shin’s leadership on HB 1225. This legislation helps establish a fair and predictable framework for the EV charging marketplace by addressing the potential for unfair competition between regulated electric utilities and fuel retailers. For companies like Sheetz, regulatory clarity and a level playing field are essential to make the costly investment necessary to own and operate public fast charging stations. HB 1225 supports private-sector investment while preserving healthy competition, which ultimately benefits consumers through better service, innovation, and pricing. By setting reasonable guardrails, the bill encourages retailers to deploy fast-charging infrastructure without fear of unfair competition, helping Virginia meet growing demand for electric transportation. Thank you for the opportunity to share Sheetz’s perspective. We respectfully urge your support for HB 1225.

End of Comments