Please study the impact of data centers on the land, water, air and people before approving them. Limit them to industrail areas and keep them away from residental areas. We must conserve trees to help protect our land from extreme heat and run off. Trees are extremely valuable.

According to Harvard Medicine, "Noise pollution is more than a nuisance. It’s a health risk." https://magazine.hms.harvard.edu/articles/noise-and-health It really doesn't matter the source, the effects range from physical - heart trouble, to psychological - suicidal depression. Please support HB166.

The League of Women Voters supports HB 168. In a 2025 election, the voters of Virginia Beach, by a solid majority, approved updating the city charter to reflect the existing 10-1 district system. The single district system ensures fair, equal, and accountable representation to all citizens in all areas of the City of Virginia Beach, and has been successfully used since 2022. The League recommends that the city charter be updated without further delay.

Virginia Beach voters have used this district system, called 10-1, through two elections and are familiar with how it works. Virginia Beach voters overwhelmingly approve of the 10-1 district system, most recently in a 2025 referendum. This district system ensures that all Virginia Beach communities have a representative on the city council and on the school board and the representatives feel accountable to their district. The district system results in fair, equal, accountable representation. The 10 districts are small enough to lower the cost of campaigning and encourage more people to run for office, giving voters more choice. This is extremely important to me.

As a Virginia Beach voter, I support HB168 because it codifies the reality in our city. Since 2022, through two elections, we have voted for city council and school board from single member districts. Voters are familiar with this system and overwhelmingly supported it in a 2025 referendum. I like the accountability of having our own representative looking out for our community interests in addition to the welfare of the whole city. I especially like the diversity it has brought to our elected bodies. Please vote in favor of HB168, Election of certain governing bodies; conversion to single member districts.

House Bill No. 181 will further allow the City of Roanoke to achieve its housing goals to provide affordable shelter for all residents. Roanoke, like most of the US, is experiencing a housing shortage that has emerged in the wake of the Great Recession. The creation of new housing units slowed and failed to keep pace with growth. Increased demand and stagnant supply have driven up costs for both homebuyers and renters. Housing costs have serious implications for households with limited incomes who end up paying a larger percentage of their income on rent or a mortgage. A quarter of Roanoke's households live in "unaffordable" housing; that is, housing that costs more than 30% of household income. This situation, known as being cost-burdened, results in ever-present stress and increases the vulnerability to eviction and potentially becoming homeless. Roanoke’s Planning staff has been working on removing barriers to housing for several years as it became apparent that a persistent shortage was emerging. City Plan 2040, adopted by City Council in 2020, called for new policies that would allow a range of housing options in every neighborhood including: Housing that is safe, accessible, affordable, and varied. Ensuring complete neighborhoods – work to ensure every neighborhood should offer a wide range of housing options within or in close proximity to commercial areas that provide services, retail, and restaurants; schools and child care, places of worship; and parks and open space. Ensuring residential areas with a mix of housing options (single-family, two-family, townhouse, and multifamily dwellings)

I fully support this bill as written.

In Support of HB 257 This bill will allow localities to make data-based decisions for the betterment of communities, address local health needs and effectively improve long-term access to public health and health care services.

I stand with VCDL on these bills.

Hello, my name is John McVey and I’m a resident of Vienna, Virginia. This morning, I’d like to make a statement in support of the HB277-Wireless Infrastructure Bill. Residents of Vienna, Virginia (including within the Town of Vienna), have become far too accustomed to poor mobile coverage. This issue has been present for years and residents and business owners have had enough. Just in Vienna alone, there are four elementary schools that are considered mobile dead zones for AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile – these include: Our Lady of Good Council, St. Mark, Holy Comforter, and Wolf Trap Elementary. Since 2020 there were at least 10 emergency situations on the OLGC campus that were exacerbated by the lack of mobile coverage – for instance, faculty were unable to reach EMS services when a student had a seizure during class, or the police couldn’t be reached when a suspicious person had entered the campus. Outside of school, parents are very frustrated by not being able to reach their children while they’re in Vienna. A local online petition in Vienna has tallied nearly 1,000 signatures in support of resolving this issue. Numerous local businesses within Vienna (for instance, restaurants, banks, grocery stores, pharmacies) have all reported business impacts due to poor mobile phone coverage. For example, a local fast-food restaurant reported that AT&T customers cannot transact and pay for their food using their mobile wallet. This impacts not only local business revenue – but also taxes revenue for both Fairfax County, and Town of Vienna meals taxes. Resolving this issue is essential to maintaining safety and security in Vienna and all communities in Virginia. I’ll end with this and the focus back on school campuses…. poor mobile coverage is a well-known problem in Vienna specifically around schools, this is a significant concern for parents especially given the tragic frequency of school campus incidents happening across the United States. I look forward to the passage of this very important bill. Thank you.

Comments Document

Testimony in favor of HB 278

My name is Charlie Davis and I support HB278. The bill gives localities the opportunity to establish critical anti-rent gouging provisions to address the escalating housing crisis. Burdened by Federal cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and housing vouchers, Virginia families can no longer wait for new housing to solve this crisis. 5 of the top 10 cities with the highest eviction rates can be found in Virginia. Right here in Richmond, tenants are up against a city often cited as having the 2nd highest eviction rate in the country. In May of last year, Richmond Redevelopment and Housing Authority paused the distribution of housing vouchers. Those seeking assistance cannot even be added to the waitlist of 4,042 families that have been put in a state of limbo with no relief in sight. I’m a first generation college graduate and Richmond resident, I’m incredibly lucky to have landed a full time job as a case manager upon graduation. Although I earn a salary, without the support of federal loans I myself have moved south of the river into income based housing and still pay more than 30% of my income on rent. Facing a city gentrified in part by universities functioning as real estate hedge funds, locals are displaced and students are priced out upon graduation. Richmond is not an exception, this is the norm. This is not a failure of the market correcting itself, this is the result of an unregulated housing market where private equity and slumlords run wild. Currently there are virtually no protections for tenants against predatory rent gouging that is displacing Virginians as we speak. There is no significant safety net provided by social services, non-profits, or community organizations to catch families when they fall behind on rent. Crowd funding has become commonplace amongst my peers who fall behind on their exorbitant rent. In my work as a case manager working with folks coming out of VADOC, housing is the number 1 crisis my clients experience. Housing instability has been the most critical factor leading to reincarceration due to the stress and instability and anti-homelessness probation policy. I’ve seen first hand the incarceration of my clients who themselves on the streets due ordinances criminalizing homelessness. Inaction by the General Assembly is a commitment to increasing evictions, displacement, homelessness, and suffering. Virginians deserve the most essential and basic dignity to stay in the homes and communities they’ve invested in for generations without fear of exploitative rent gouging. I urge you to vote yes on HB278.

My name is Elizabeth Forbes, and I am a constituent from Newport News, speaking in support of House Bill 278. As a renter, I have experienced rent increases year after year, while wages and job opportunities have not kept pace. Even as a working professional, housing has become less affordable. Through my work as an aftercare coordinator and case manager, I’ve also seen how rising rents completely shut out individuals returning from incarceration, increasing housing instability and recidivism. HB278 is a solution because it gives localities the authority to address excessive rent increases and prevent rent gouging based on community needs. I respectfully urge you to vote YES on House Bill 278. Thank you

Our organization supports renters and know that many landlords end leases just to increase the cost without making any improvements to the property, we know that the cost of living is not aligned with the cost of rent, we know that all of the assaults on the workforce increase the number of people who can no longer afford or sustain their rent, while landlords increase rent and costs annually. We support this bill. If we are truly moving in the spirit of affordability, this is a significant bill for all renters.

Our organization supports renters and know that many landlords end leases just to increase the cost without making any improvements to the property, we know that the cost of living is not aligned with the cost of rent, we know that all of the assaults on the workforce increase the number of people who can no longer afford or sustain their rent, while landlords increase rent and costs annually. We support this bill. If we are truly moving in the spirit of affordability, this is a significant bill for all renters.

Hello...I am a landlord of three rental units located in northern Virginia. I am in support of the anti gouging rent bill (HB 278 and SB 355). As a landlord I feel a tremendous responsibility to my tenants. I have not raised the rent on my current tenants in the past three years. I could have done so but I found it to be an undue burden to them and not a responsible thing to do as a landlord. The 3% max hike per year is more than reasonable and giving tenants 90 days of notice allows them to prepare for the increase or find another place to live. Unfortunately, many landlords do gauge renters and controls must be put in place so this activity stops and folks who are renting have options and protections. I also hope this raises an awareness that just because you can doesn't mean you should. Thank you for considering my perspective. Lynn Morrow Annandale, Va

Comments Document

I appear before you today in opposition to HB 278. Please don’t make the same mistake that we made in Montgomery County (MC), Maryland. MC has gone from being the most desirable submarket for multifamily investment in the Washington Region to the worst. Since the passing of rent control in 2023, new multifamily construction has virtually stopped. Worse, MC has been red-lined by institutional grade investors and pension funds, without which there is no development. The unintended consequences we are experiencing, has our Council now considering a full repeal of the law. Rent control in MSA’s nationwide have failed to reduce housing costs, instead they degraded our housing stock and living conditions. Your constituents don’t want rent control, they want homes they can afford to purchase or rent. We lower the cost of housing for everyone when we build more supply, all types of housing, single family homes, towns, market-rate and income restricted apartments. Government has a moral obligation and duty to house its’ neediest residents. Income restricted, truly “affordable” housing doesn’t happen naturally or because of rent control policies, it only happens with Federal, State and local subsidies like LIHTC, state and local grants, property tax abatements and free land contributed by state and local governments. Rent control sounds like a great idea to the average citizen. Don’t expect your constituents to understand why it’s a failed policy that won’t reduce their housing costs. In fact, just the opposite, constraining supply has proven to only increase housing costs for renters and purchasers. Please don’t make the same mistake we made. Thank you for your consideration.

Comments Document

HB278 is a commonsense policy solution that allows localities to set reasonable limits on rent increases while incentivizing new supply and safeguarding responsible landlords. 1 in 3 Virginians are renters and 42% are cost-burdened. Virginia is home to 5 of the top 10 cities with the highest eviction filing rates. Virginians are facing an unfair, unhealthy, and increasingly predatory market at the renter's expense. Even as new units are built, the rental market is increasingly plagued with private equity acquisitions of multifamily, single-family, and manufactured housing communities; aggressive rent hikes and fee stacking; algorithmic rent-setting tools that artificially inflate prices; racial, disability, and voucher discrimination; unaddressed health and safety violations that worsen housing insecurity; gentrification pressures that displacement-prone communities cannot withstand; corporate consolidation that reduces market competition and bargaining power; ordinances that criminalize homelessness which punish vulnerable unsheltered people; and data-center driven utility costs that burdens renters. Private equity companies now own 13% of the Virginia rental market. Some localities have larger shares of private equity ownership, such as Richmond City at 20%. Housing is NOT a commodity to be hoarded and then bartered on the open market. It is a human right and it should be protected as so. The housing crisis is beyond simply a shortage – increasing supply alone will not fix the crisis. Unchecked rent increases are a major driver of shrinking affordable housing stock. Without protections and enforcement, adding new units risks accelerating gentrification, fueling slumlords, and predatory practices, NOT providing stability. Virginians need immediate, durable protections that prevent displacement and safeguard renters now. Anti-rent gouging ordinances offer the missing piece: an immediate solution against displacement while new units come online. With most new construction targeting higher-rent units and overall building speed depressed by high interest rates and construction costs, tenants should especially be protected from rent gouging while these structural issues are fixed. Anti-rent gouging provides a timely solution that the market will not. While we work to increase housing supply, preserve affordable housing, and expand assistance programs, we also need to protect tenants from the extreme rent increases that are squeezing households’ budgets and displacing families right now. Supply and stability must work together to deliver true affordability. Anti-rent gouging is a cost-effective and data-driven tool to stabilize households, prevent homelessness, and preserve affordable housing at scale. It empowers communities to respond to urgent local needs, complements supply-side strategies, and protects both renters and responsible landlords. We strongly urge the Subcommittee to vote in support of this bill. The circumstances could not be more critical. The time to act is now and Virginians demand their right to stay.

I am writing to you today as a resident of Northern Virginia who is currently witnessing the devastating reality of our unregulated housing market. I live in a single-family rental home. Recently, after my initial two-year lease ended, I faced a situation that felt less like a business negotiation and more like an ultimatum. My landlord initially demanded a $1,100 monthly rent increase, justifying it simply as the "fair market rent" for a house of this size. After pleading my case that I simply could not afford such a staggering jump, we "settled" on a $700 increase. While $700 is less than $1,100, it is still an enormous burden. In what other part of our economy is it considered "fair" to hike the price of a basic necessity by nearly a thousand dollars overnight? In Northern Virginia, we are seeing a disturbing trend: landlords of single-family homes are imposing rent increases that far exceed those of managed apartments. They use "market rates" as a convenient shield to hide behind, but the reality is much darker. When wages aren't even coming close to rising at this pace, these massive hikes aren't just market adjustments—they are a form of systemic exploitation. It feels like institutionalized extortion disguised as a legal contract. Currently, single-family home rentals in Virginia feel like the "Wild West," with almost no protections or guidelines to keep increases reasonable. Why are these homes treated differently than commercial apartment properties? A family living in a house deserves the same stability and protection from predatory pricing as a family living in an apartment. We must stop treating housing as a purely speculative tool for the wealthy to extract maximum profit from the working class. I strongly urge the legislature to: Establish Rent Stabilization for Single-Family Homes: We need a cap on annual increases to prevent these arbitrary $700 or $1,100 spikes that tear families apart. Create Fair Guidelines: Single-family rentals should be subject to the same scrutiny and oversight as large apartment complexes. Balance the Scales: Housing is a human right. We need laws that ensure "market rates" don't become a tool for legal exploitation. The current system allows those with property wealth to exploit those without it, all under the guise of "legality." I ask you to look past the numbers and see the families who are being squeezed out of the communities they call home. It is time for Virginia to take a stand for its tenants. Best regards JH Ahn

I am writing to formally submit my testimony regarding the increasing burden of unregulated rent hikes on long-term, responsible tenants in my community. I have been a resident of my current home for over 10 years. During this decade, I have been a model tenant, contributing approximately $200,000 in rental payments without a single instance of delinquency. Despite this long-standing commitment and the stability I have provided to the property, I am now facing aggressive rent increases that threaten my housing security. In the past two years alone, my rent has been increased consecutively—first by $100 and then by $200 per month—under the justification of rising utility costs. However, these increases have been applied to every unit in the dwelling, seemingly exceeding the actual rise in expenses. For a long-term tenant currently facing unemployment, these cumulative increases are not merely an inconvenience; they are a crisis. When I raised these concerns, the response from the landlord was a dismissive suggestion to vacate the premises if I could not meet the market rate. This "take it or leave it" attitude ignores the decade of financial contribution and care I have invested in the property. Market-driven rent adjustments that fail to account for a tenant’s history, reliability, and local economic hardship are predatory. I urge this committee to consider legislative measures that: Limit the frequency and percentage of rent increases for established, long-term tenants. Require transparency and documentation when landlords cite utility costs as a basis for rent hikes. Strengthen protections against retaliatory or dismissive "displacement" tactics used to exploit rising market demands. Stable housing is the foundation of a strong community. I am a testament to the fact that even the most responsible residents are being priced out of their homes due to a lack of fair oversight. I respectfully ask you to take action to protect vulnerable tenants from such arbitrary and excessive increases. Sincerely, SH Choi

I am writing to you today to urge you to oppose HB 278, legislation that would authorize localities to adopt "anti-rent gouging" ordinances and impose a strict cap on annual rent increases. While the goal of affordable housing is shared by all, the price controls proposed in this bill—specifically the 3% annual cap—are a proven failure that will ultimately harm the very tenants they are intended to help, while placing an unsustainable burden on housing providers. We need look no further than San Francisco to see these failures in action. A landmark 2019 study from Stanford University analyzing San Francisco’s rent control expansion found that the policy caused the supply of available rental housing to drop by 15% as landlords converted units to condos or sold to owner-occupiers to avoid the regulations. This constriction of supply paradoxically drove citywide rents up by 5.1% and caused an estimated $2.9 billion in economic welfare losses. Rather than helping low-income tenants, the policy accelerated gentrification and displacement, achieving the exact opposite of its intended goal. Furthermore, HB 278 fails to account for the volatile and sharp increases in operating costs that property owners face, particularly regarding property taxes. A specific example from our own Commonwealth highlights this danger: following the 2023 general reassessment in Montgomery County, residential property values—and consequently assessments—increased by approximately 30% on average. When assessments spike by 30%, the associated tax burden on a property owner rises significantly. Under the strict 3% rent cap proposed in HB 278, a landlord facing such a drastic, government-imposed tax hike would be legally prohibited from adjusting rents to cover the new expense. The math simply does not work; a 3% revenue increase cannot absorb a double-digit percentage increase in taxes, not to mention the rising costs of insurance, utilities, and labor. Policies that untether revenue from reality force small housing providers to sell their properties—further shrinking the rental pool. Virginia needs more housing supply, not price controls that stifle investment and bankrupt local property owners. I respectfully ask that you vote NO on HB 278.

This is a rent control bill. Rent control results in less apartment buildings being built. That makes rental housing more scarce. When Montgomery County imposed rent control, construction of multifamily housing fell. See this link: https://x.com/FreeRangeLawyer/status/2011077281041744275 . When Ontario imposed rent control, construction of apartment buildings fell. See this link: https://x.com/seldomsensible/status/2011872691830341788 . The Washington Post says rent control is a "failed experiment" that reduces the amount of affordable housing. See the Washington Post editorial at this link: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/12/16/rent-control-la-nyc-twin-cities-housing/ . New York Times columnist Paul Krugman -- an Nobel Prize-winning economist -- wrote in The Times that "a poll of the American Economic Association found 93 percent of its members agreeing that ''a ceiling on rents reduces the quality and quantity'" of housing. We need more affordable housing. Liberalize zoning. That results in more apartment buildings. Cities with liberalized zoning like Austin saw a massive apartment building boom and falling rents. See the news story at this link: https://www.texastribune.org/2025/01/22/austin-texas-rents-falling/

SUPPORT HB370. Localities need this information to make informed decisions when approving or disapproving of growth.

Dear State Representatives: Advancing this is critical for local transparency. We in Botetourt County are in the process of opposing a Google Data center that is shrouded in NDA's for the local voters. Our Board of Supervisors has signed NDAs that specifically cloak the amount of water used on a daily basis by this data center. Please help us before it too late. Thank you Jim Malue

I represent Wise County residents as one of the county's elected Soil and Water Conservation Directors. While multiple data centers are being planned for our locality, county officials and developers have so far declined to disclose any details about these data center projects and their projected water usage to either the general public or local stakeholders in the resource management realm. One of our responsibilities as elected SWCD directors is to work with other local elected officials and the general public to find collaborative solutions to complex resource management issues affecting our localities. However, we cannot perform this critical function of our office when basic information about data center projects' anticipated resource uses are shielded from disclosure and the routine public input mechanisms that are common for other major economic development projects. It then requires more time, effort, and taxpayer expense to retroactively address resource management issues that arise from such projects when they are planned in relative secrecy, as opposed to being planned through a transparent process that allows for issues to proactively be caught and mitigated early on. HB496 provides important checks on the aforementioned issues and would ensure that residents and other stakeholders have the information they need to inform developers and local government officials about important considerations involving water resources that may result from a planned data center project. I encourage you to support HB496.

Please study the impact of data centers on the land, water, air and people before approving them. Limit them to industrail areas and keep them away from residental areas. We must conserve trees to help protect our land from extreme heat and run off. Trees are extremely valuable.

I fully support HB496 as written.

I am writing in full support of this bill. Transparency and equal access to information are essential for decision-making and planning. It is also key for residents to be able to know the impacts (as best as can be determined) as they way in on key decisions including development opportunities like data centers. We know that data centers use a significant amount of water, which does affect everyone. As a resident of Richmond, I can speak to the clear needs for understanding the impact and stress on our water infrastructure. The city has struggled to maintain both its water for drinking and waste water as needs have shifted and change. The improvements in the city's infrastructure would be even harder forecast if they did not know the affects of data centers on the water supply. How can a city do affective planning and budgeting of the key infrastructure projects needed without having some sense of the impact of development projects. It is irresponsible and unethical that predicted water usage from data centers is not shared at the proposal stage so that decision makers, planners, legislators, and residents can make an informed decision.

I strongly support HB496 because Virginia is already the data center capital of the world, and new applications continue to come forward at a rapid pace. While data centers rely heavily on local resources, they often provide limited long-term economic benefit to surrounding communities, create relatively few jobs, and frequently receive significant tax incentives. As this industry expands, it is essential that communities fully understand the local impacts before projects are approved. Water use is one of my greatest concerns. Data centers can require enormous volumes of water for cooling, yet this information is not always clearly disclosed to the public or local decision-makers. Communities deserve transparency about how much water a proposed facility will use and whether that demand could strain local water systems or contribute to higher utility bills for residents. HB496 establishes a common-sense requirement that data center developers disclose expected water usage in advance and prevents that information from being hidden behind confidentiality agreements. If data centers depend on our shared water resources, they should be required to carry their own weight and plan responsibly for those needs. This bill helps ensure that economic development does not come at the expense of community affordability, water security, or long-term sustainability.

Dear Rep. Guzman, Thank you for introducing HB 496 to begin to hold data centers accountable to local communities for the true cost that they demand. Neither our water supply nor our power grid can sustain the level of planning that has gone unchecked for these developments. Your bill is a step in the right direction to demand transparency and give communities and community members the facts they need to make informed decisions for sustainable planning and development. I wholeheartedly support your measure. Sincerely, Lesley

I am concerned about the proliferation of data centers and other large development projects that impact local water and power. Transparency for governmental approval and planning requires the provision of water use disclosures. Projects should not be able to avoid these disclosures with the use of NDAs or confidentiality agreements. Requiring accurate water use disclosures is in the best interests of all citizens, now and in the future- and thus I strongly support HB 496.

I've lived in my townhome since May 2015. My water bill was $90 each quarter until one year ago. For the last 4 payments, it is now $149. I live in 20147, basically 'data center alley'. This 65% increase is NOT inflation. I do not think it is my responsibility, or my neighbors in the county, to pay for the entire world's gluttonous need for 'cloud storage'. As a teacher, I did NOT receive a 65% salary increase. Nor did the bus drivers, grocery store staff, nurses, accountants, etc that live in my neighborhood.

While Data Centers can provide much needed revenue to localities it is imperative that those decisions are made in the open and ALL the impacts of a data center are known and clearly available to the public, not just the revenue possibilities.

This is a clear government transparency issue and inhibits public water supply planning efforts. We need you to support House Bill 496.

To the Board of Western VA Water Authority, The impacts on our water supply by the Google AI data center planned for construction in Botetourt County concern me greatly. The negative effects of AI Data Centers are well documented, and they are known to be causing water crises in the country and water issues within Virginia as well. Granting Google unprecedented access to our water supply is unacceptable and infuriating, and I am extremely disappointed in how the Western Virginia Water Authority has handled this project thus far. As a Western Virginia Resident, we demand transparency moving forward as well as dialogue with experts on the impacts of this kind of data center on water and land usage. We also demand a town hall to address concerns about how the implementation of such a data center will effect our water supply and our wallets, with detailed and transparent explanations about how the water authority will mitigate damage. It is unacceptable to believe that Google will act with the people of Western Virginia in mind, as Google has no obligation to our natural resources or our communities, and they are only concerned with profits. I urge you to think on this; protect our water, our environment, and our people from corporations that are not concerned with how their construction effects local communities. It is your duty to the people of Western VA to protect our water and to listen to and address the public's concerns about the risks of such a project. Sincerely, Madeline Alford 2807 Wellesely Ct, Blacksburg, VA madelinebelle11@gmail.com

Please vote for this legislation. I bought our retirement home on the Rappahannock River. I love it! If proposed data centers build next door and suck up our well water for their business, or affect the quality of the River due to business use, I will be forced to move away from my dream home. Not to mention the impact on our house values.

I am very concerned about the impact of data centers’ water needs on our scarce freshwater sources. This bill is a no-brainer to at least quantify those needs as part of the planning/approval process.

Please support hb496. It is dishonest to withhold information on the use and effects that the data center will or may have on public drinking water. It appears that data centers have something to hide. Please don’t allow them to hide information from the public. In addition, please do not support the abolishment of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. The only ones that would benefit are attorneys and criminals.

PLEASE, think of our next 100, 200, and 300 years in this country like our founding fathers did for us. As a farmer and rancher, I don’t know what I will do in 50 years. I really do not. No one will be able to afford to grow your food if the data centers down the road make everybody realize it pays more to be a welder or electrician. But we need it youth full of hope and striving for food production too! Our jails grow most of our food here. First generation farms won’t exist if we continue to deregulate data centers or take local governments power from them to do anything about it. Towns and Counties need help regulating data centers. We are in a serious and rare winter drought in Virginia. We cannot afford many more data centers, especially at the rate they are being built and way they are being operated. We really DONT know how exactly they operate because that information will not be disclosed by the companies.. how do we enforce unenforceable companies? “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased, and not impaired, in value.” -Theodore Roosevelt, speech before Colorado Livestock Association, Denver, Colo., Aug. 29, 1910.

On behalf of Nature Forward, please support and vote "yes" on HB496. With the ever-growing desire of data centers to be located in Virginia, with an overwhelming number of data centers in Northern Virginia, it is more important than ever to integrate facts and information into the decision-making process for approvals of data centers and for better understanding the water impacts of by-right data center development. This bill would finally allow localities to get data on expected water use for new data centers, avoiding water usage NDAs and redacted redact water and wastewater service agreements. Local decision makers, the public, and even VA DEQ deserve to have a full understanding of potential impacts a data center could have on their localities' water resources to better allow for planning for potential impacts to water resources. This bill increases government transparency and improves local democracy, allowing the public and all decision makers to have the same knowledge developers and only a few others have regarding estimated water usage. Please support HB496 – the future of our drinking water depends on it.

A government spending taxpayer money to hide information from those same taxpayers sounds like a bad joke, but it is all too true. The Western Virginia Water Authority, which manages water for Roanoke, Botetourt, and Franklin Counties as well as Roanoke City, is currently appealing a judge's ruling against them to release the expected water usage rates of a proposed Google data center in Botetourt County. They redacted the numbers from draft contracts they released to the press, and argued in court that the rates--estimated to be between two and eight million gallons *per day*--are Google's "proprietary information," necessary for them to maintain their competitive edge. It's a small detail, just a few numbers among dozens of pages, they are keen to point out. But the failure to disclose those small but crucial numbers is emblematic of the contempt for basic openness and accountability that have characterized the Botetourt data center project from the beginning, negotiated in secret for over a year-and-a-half and with water access granted shortly thereafter without any public input. This is not even primarily a Google issue. Secrecy is the standard operating procedure for all these tech companies, and runs counter to the principles of good governence in all these localities. The Roanoke Valley is not the first region to look for answers and run up against the black wall of redactions and NDAs, but Virginia, with the opportunity to advance and pass HB496, can make it the last. https://www.roanokerambler.com/water-authority-seeks-emergency-appeal-pause-as-clock-ticks-on-releasing-google-data-center-information/

Dear Members of the General Assembly, I am writing as a concerned citizen of Essex County, Virginia, in strong support of House Bill 496. I care deeply about the long-term health of the endangered Rappahannock River and its fragile watershed ecosystem, along with the surrounding lands and communities that depend on these limited shared resources. Our region is experiencing a rapid increase in proposed and approved data center developments, often promoted as major economic wins. For economic development to truly benefit a community, however, the scale, nature, and pace of that development must align with local goals, needs, and resource availability. Achieving that alignment requires transparency and mutual understanding. Many of the massive data center projects currently under consideration raise serious concerns - particularly with respect to water use, energy demand, and rural encroachment. Data centers are known to require substantial and continuous water withdrawals. Yet under current practices, applicants may shield critical water use information through nondisclosure agreements, confidentiality provisions, and redactions in water and wastewater service agreements. This lack of transparency undermines informed decision-making and prevents meaningful public participation in processes that directly affect shared public resources. House Bill 496 addresses this problem directly and responsibly. By prohibiting the use of nondisclosure agreements and redactions to conceal water use data, and by requiring applicants to disclose expected annual and daily water use metrics the bill restores transparency to an essential public review process. These disclosures are critical to ensure the project aligns with community goals and for accurate resource planning, responsible infrastructure investment, and long-term water supply /drought resilience. The Rappahannock River watershed supports a fragile ecosystem and a pristine rural landscape of local, state, and national cultural, historical, and ecological significance. Once degraded, these resources cannot be easily restored. Beyond environmental impacts, unchecked and undisclosed water withdrawals pose risks to human health and wellbeing, agricultural viability, and the sustainability of existing residential and commercial water users. Over time, this erosion threatens the very fabric of communities carefully woven over more than three centuries. HB 496 empowers local governments, planners, and citizens with the information necessary to evaluate development proposals responsibly and to act in the best interests of the communities they represent. This is especially important for high-poverty and rural communities that lack in-house technical staff or the financial resources to engage in prolonged legal battles with large corporate developers. Transparency is a cornerstone of good governance, particularly when finite and irreplaceable resources are at stake. For these reasons, I strongly urge you to support and pass House Bill 496. This legislation is a critical step toward protecting Virginia’s water resources, strengthening community-driven decision-making, and safeguarding the future of rural communities like mine in Essex County. Thank you for your consideration and for your service to the Commonwealth. Respectfully, Meredith Trible A Concerned Citizen Essex County, Virginia

I am in strong support of this bill that would require data centers to disclose water usage and include average daily use, maximum daily use, and total maximum annual use. As well as water use to be disclosed at the time of site plan. It is within all of our best interests for this data to be completely transparent to community members that will be affected by data center infrastructure. Thank you.

I support HB496 on behalf of my constituents whose access to water is at risk due to the plans of a massive data center that would use between 2 million to 8 million gallons of water today from our regional water authority. One locality in the regional water authority signed a contract impacting the entire region's water supply without notice to the other localities. This is unacceptable especially in the middle of a long drought resulting in low levels of our water retention supply. It's imperative that HB496 passes to protect our water supply from outdated data center construction that results in wasteful water usage. There must be public notice and discussion. Please vote for HB496. Sincerely, Freeda Cathcart District Director on the BRSWCD representing Roanoke City

Please vote for transparency on the impact that data centers have on our water supply. We are in a drought warning and our aquifers are being depleted. This bill would bring transparency to the impact these facilities have.

Dear delegates, I urge you to pass this bill to slow the unrestrained development of data centers in Virginia. We’re at a crossroads where we can choose to continue drawing unlimited resources from our public utilities and natural resources (like water), or we can put sensible and sustainable guard rails on developments like Google’s hyperscale data center proposed near my home in Botetourt County. I just inherited my family’s 76 acres of pristine Appalachian Mountain-side there, and I’d like to someday build my forever home there. In my dreams, I have plenty of well water to draw from the aquifers below the land. I fear that if un restrained data centers, taking a city’s worth of water per day, I’ll have no water with which to raise my family.

I fully support this bill. I speak for the large organization of HOA’s in PWC, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Fauquier counties supporting better transparency and standards around water use. The VA DEQ recent report said half of Virginia is under drought conditions. We need this bill Roger Yackel Gainesville

I'm writing to show my support for this bill, which would grant more transparency to Virginians who are currently facing new data center development projects. As cost of living and inflation continues to rise, we deserve to know to what degree data centers would strain our water resources, in order to make more informed public opinions on whether these centers are a net benefit or detriment to our communities. It's to everyone's detriment when that information is not public knowledge, as it fuels speculation and mistrust. And if a company is trying to withhold that information, because of how detrimental these data centers would be to our water supply and the price increases we would ultimately pay towards it, then that is all the more reason that the information should be public so that a more informed public dialogue can be held.

Dear State Representatives: Advancing this is critical for local transparency. We in Botetourt County are in the process of opposing a Google Data center that is shrouded in NDA's for the local voters. Our Board of Supervisors has signed NDAs that specifically cloak the amount of water used on a daily basis by this data center. Please help us before it too late. Thank you Jim Malue

Hi, I'm reaching out as a member of the Southwest Virginia Data Center Transparency Alliance group. I'd like to encourage your support of HB496 to require data centers to publicly share information about each center's projected and actual water usage—both average and maximum for daily and yearly amounts. Because our sources of fresh water are limited and necessary for human life, I believe regulating these centers is of utmost importance. Additionally, there are multiple methods of cooling water in these centers that are sustainable and more environmentally friendly. I encourage our representatives to consider proposing a new bill: One that requires data centers to explore all methods of cooling, then publicly share these findings. Ultimately, most data centers do not use renewable resources due to the higher cost. If we, as Virginians, are allowing these centers to become fixtures in our communities—cutting down trees, producing irritating humming sounds at all hours of the day, and consuming significant amounts of power from our grids—our lawmakers have every right to require the centers to foot the bill. I live right on the county lines of Roanoke and Botetourt, and here, Google is our main concern. Google absolutely has the funding and resources to pay its share of the electric usage, any necessary updates to the county's electrical grid to support the center, and MOST importantly, the additional cost to use a renewable cooling method that will not put our entire community at risk of drought. I invite you to consider that while the county will make money from this deal, we can still welcome the data center if it's already decided—but it's up to you as our representatives to ensure that me, you, our neighbors, and all of our children have access to clean water and reasonable energy rates for generations to come. Thank you so much for your time. This issue affects us all, both those profiting from it and those who will be paying more for it. Please consider our community as a whole and help us maintain our fresh water.

I support HB496. We need regulations to ensure that data centers are not sited where they make excessive demands on water. Recent reports about nondisclosure agreements keeping the public in the dark about this critical information are frankly appalling. Please vote for HB496.

Comments Document

On behalf of the citizens of Madison County, I respectfully urge you to favorably consider the smaller localities and recommend HB535 and HB536 for passage. This action would return some oversight role in the governance and land use planning of their county to the citizens. James H. Smith, Certified Planning Commissioner, Madison County Planning Commission I shall also attend the 0700 hearing on 23 January and respectfully request permission to address the committee.

Comments Document

I am President of the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection (RLEP) and have been a resident of Rappahannock County for the past 38 years. In addition to my role with RLEP, I am also a licensed real estate agent and have served on our Planning Commission for many years. RLEP, an organization of concerned citizens, taxpayers and landowners in Rappahannock County, has worked for over fifty years to protect our natural resources and the rural character of our county. With a mailing list of over 800 people and strong membership support, RLEP has played a key role in guiding our elected officials toward prudent, community-oriented decisions. I am writing to express my support for HB535 and HB1083. These bills are a positive first step toward addressing the unintended consequences of efforts to “streamline” Virginia’s subdivision and site plan laws brought about by SB974 and HB2660. Framed as technical reforms to help expand the housing market, these new laws inadvertently create unique burdens on low population counties. By mandating the use of a designated agent rather than allow review by a full Planning Commission, smaller counties like Rappahannock are at risk because we do not have adequate resources to grow the staff to contend with multiple applications for subdivisions. In the case of Rappahannock County, our Office of Zoning Administration is staffed by a single person. This fact, coupled with limited budget resources means county residents are at risk of rushed decisions and likely inadvertent mistakes. In addition, in smaller population rural counties, each subdivision has a greater impact on our community than subdivisions in larger population counties. Such decisions deserve the careful consideration of our Planning Commission—the entity whose members are appointed by our elected officials to consider the best interests of our community. These decisions should not be made by staff, acting alone. The 2025 laws created several challenges for small population counties, which are detailed in the full comments attached to this public comment. Thoughtful planning takes time and genuine community engagement. We urge you to revisit SB974 and HB 2660 and work toward a more balanced approach for smaller population counties.

Comments Document

On behalf of the citizens of Madison County, I respectfully urge you to favorably consider the smaller localities and recommend HB535 and HB536 for passage. This action would return some oversight role in the governance and land use planning of their county to the citizens. James H. Smith, Certified Planning Commissioner, Madison County Planning Commission I shall also attend the 0700 hearing on 23 January and respectfully request permission to address the committee.

Please support this bill to give localities the power to prioritize their own health, happiness, and prosperity as stewards of their homes. Prioritizing trees in development plans must be mandated because it won't happen as a result of convenience or greed.

Chair and Members of the Committee, On behalf of Lynnhaven River NOW, Virginia Beach’s leading conservation and restoration organization dedicated to clean water and healthy coastal ecosystems, I urge you to support HB 549. In a coastal city facing heavier rainfall, recurrent flooding, and ongoing water-quality challenges, tree canopy is not just a “nice to have”- it is critical infrastructure. Trees intercept and slow rainfall, reduce polluted runoff, increase infiltration, and strengthen soils. In doing so, they directly support stormwater management and water quality, helping keep sediment, nutrients, and other pollutants out of our rivers, creeks, and bays. Protecting the canopy also helps prevent erosion, stabilizing land and shorelines, and reducing sedimentation that harms aquatic habitat. HB 549 strengthens Virginia’s ability to conserve and rebuild canopy during development in ways that align with our mission. Most importantly, it recognizes that statewide minimums should not be a ceiling. Virginia Beach needs the authority to set stronger canopy-replacement standards where justified by local conditions - especially in communities with significant flooding risk and stormwater obligations. HB 549’s approach gives localities the flexibility to pursue higher canopy outcomes to meet real-world needs, including resilience and watershed protection. Tree canopy also supports ecological diversity, providing habitat, connecting green spaces, and improving neighborhood health. In Virginia Beach, where our economy and quality of life depend on clean water and thriving coastal ecosystems, maintaining and expanding the canopy is a practical, proven investment. HB 549 is a commonsense bill that helps ensure growth does not come at the expense of the natural systems that protect our community. We respectfully ask you to report HB 549 and support its passage. Respectfully submitted, Lynnhaven River NOW

The alarming loss of mature trees in our towns, neighborhoods and parklands has got to stop. The trees are under so many challenges…. Climate , invasive insects, invasive vines, disease, and development. It is such a travesty to see large healthy trees cut down for the convenience of home building. We must protect and conserve the treasures and providers of so many eco services we take for granted.

HB549 addresses a climate and socioeconomic issue with a solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars. Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets is essential. We need to reduce the impact of extreme heat and protects residents, especially in areas of lower economic income during heat waves and flooding. The additional benefits would be improving storm water management and water quality, as well as public health and life expectancy. Trees are vital to our existence on so many level both personally and economically. Please add a tool to enforcement by increasing penalties for violating tree canopy ordinances to $2,500.

Please support bill 549. Our local governments need the flexibility it would provide to require developers of new houses to replace the tree canopy that is routinely destroyed in a meaningful way. Trees are not just a 'private property' issue. Trees are a community resource. When they are needlessly removed, they affect the entire community in terms of bird and wildlife reduction and heat island effects.

Please let us work to protect our local tree canopy! Over the last 10 years, we have lost a significant portion of our tree canopy as older houses are sold and the lots cleared for easier construction of new houses. The result impacts the whole community, not just that land owner. Our streets have gotten so much hotter and our neighborhood is less inviting. Please give us the local control so that we can work together as a community to find the right solution - rather than have no option other than what the developers want.

I strongly support HB549 as a way to conserve energy resources, contribute to flood control and enhance urban livability, all of which offer long term economic benefits to Virginia citizens. Local jurisdictions understand how tree cover can best be maintained while also supporting appropriate development objectives. Please vote to pass this bill out of committee and, eventually, into law.

I support HB 549. Trees are essential for slowing climate change and providing shade in our increasingly hot summers. Too many developers have no profit incentive to preserve or replace trees, leaving neighborhoods barren and treeless and increasing temperatures, energy costs, and heat-related illnesses for citizens. Privately owned mature trees have benefits that reach far beyond property lines, from the comfort and safety of pedestrians passing under their shade to the cooler temperatures they bring to the whole neighborhood. We need tools to stop developers from clear-cutting these public resources--let's allow our local governments the power to conserve trees for the good of the community and the climate!

Please support HB549. Trees are meant to outlive us. They provide fresh air, habitat for wildlife and curb flooding and the creation heat islands. Developers should have to prioritize conservation of mature trees and preserving tree canopy for the benefit of everyone involved.

Trees not only improve the quality of life for the people who live near them, they also save our county and taxpayers money. When mature trees are removed by developers unnecessarily, it costs our community and future generations.

Trees are an important part of our ecosystem and provide many benefits. Developments hit the easy button and clear cut too much simply to make it easier for their planning. Maybe they’ll drop in a few junk non native trees afterwards and say they’ve replaced what they removed which is nonsense. A quantity replacement isn’t a quality replacement when the removed item were mature trees. Let the local governments have say in what happens to trees in their areas.

HB 549 Mature shade trees add value to property, not only monetarily but also for absorption of stormwater runoff, cooling and energy efficiency, carbon sequestration all the while improving air quality, especially for those with cardiovascular issues. We need to maintain our tree canopy across the state and this is one sure way to do it. Developers can build around and preserve mature trees using calculations that preserve the root zone. Let’s build resiliently to prevent flooding, conserve energy, and promote cardiovascular health. Let’s keep our trees standing! They beautify and add real estate value to properties. It’s a win-win.

HB549 will help maintain the healthy tree canopy needed for stormwater management, for reducing extreme heat, and for keeping our air clean. It is distressing how many important trees in our neighborhood have been cut down in order to build ever-larger houses. We need to push back on this kind of development to keep our community healthy. Please vote YES on SB549.

I see our rural forests being cleared daily, and not just the pine plantations. The loss of mature trees worsens flooding and increases erosion. This also affects carbon sequestration, essential to combating climate change. In the cities, tree loss intensifies dangerous urban heat as well. Our Commonwealth needs trees, especially native trees, to survive. Please support HB549.

Please support HB549 and protect our trees.

Please support HB549 as it is critical to maintaining a healthy tree canopy, especially in semi-urban areas such as Arlington, VA. This is critical for stormwater management, for reducing occurrences of extreme heat, and for clean air. Currently we see our mature canopy trees being clear-cut for development, making our communities less healthy and adding to public expenses of health emergencies and flooding. Local governments need the authority to respond to local conditions and issues. This is an important issue to my community and I urge you to vote YES on HB549.

HB549 just says "one size doesn't fit all." Local jurisdictions would balance development needs with the known benefits of trees. A tailored approach, optimizing community benefits. Please support HB549.

Please support HB549 as it is critical to maintaining a healthy tree canopy, especially in semi-urban areas such as Arlington, VA. Since the zoning has been changed in Arlington, developers are quick to clear cut lots, even trees on the property lines, that do not need to be taken down to build what we eventually is constructed. Also, this is critical for stormwater management, for reducing occurrences of extreme heat, and for clean air. Local governments need the authority to respond to local conditions and issues. This is an important issue to my community and I urge you to vote YES on SB549

Arlington has a 40% canopy goal, which is critical to preserving biodiversity, carbon sequestering, erosion and flood control, and mental health for our residents and visitors. No one wants to live in a desert. I live in a low density residential area. Because Arlington has heavily developed its two metrorail corridors and has now expanded higher density to two additional corridors, we must obtain 60% tree canopy in the low density areas if we are to reach our goal. Development is the #1 threat, and Arlington has done its part to contribute well beyond its geographic weigh in providing new commercial and residential development, including providing taxes to the Commonwealth. Now we need the Commonwealth to help us preserve the most critical resource we have, our natural environment, our trees, and our keystone species. thank you

Our tree canopies are disappearing because of reckless construction in our community. Trees are important for our environment, our health, and our quality of life and provide important homes to the wildlife in our area. Communities should have the ability to protect trees from thoughtless removal that impacts neighborhoods. Many could be saved if construction companies would stop using clear cutting as their first step in building. Please support this bill!

Please support HB549 to strengthen standards for tree canopy replacement during development. This is an issue that I - and many people in my community - feel very strongly about.

I urge you vote yes on HB549 as it is critical to maintaining a healthy tree canopy, especially in semi-urban areas such as Arlington, VA. Our mature canopy trees are needed for stormwater management, for reducing occurrences of extreme heat, and for clean air. In our locality mature canopy trees being clear-cut for development, making our communities less healthy and adding to public expenses of health emergencies and flooding. Mature trees have economic benefits and will help maintain a healthy community. Local governments need the authority to respond to local conditions and issues. This is an important issue for my community and I urge you to vote YES on HB549.

Please support HB549 to strengthen community resilience by increasing the standards for tree canopy replacement during development, as directed by communities themselves. Air quality, stormwater management, and the health and well-being of residents should always come before developer interests! This bill is a step in the right direction toward prioritizing the health of both Virginia and Virginians.

Please consider the ramifications of this bill. We currently live in a neighborhood where an enormous housing project went in and didn’t leave a single tree. Not only did a displace many birds and animals. It has also added to the sound of the local roadway. Trees add so much. A noise buffer, a home to many birds and animals…and so much more. Please consider this wonderful Bill ! as it will make a great impact with further development. Thank you, Jackie

Please support HB549, it is a practical, locally driven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets: SUPPORT HB549 Conservation and replacement of trees during development process. Bill Patron: Delegate Patrick Hope Reduces extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves. Improves stormwater management and water quality. Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. Improves public health and life expectancy. Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties for violating tree canopy ordinances to $2,500.

Please support HB549 and continue to grow our understandings of the benefits of strong and mature tree canopies in our state and communities. Trees are another of our vital partners in creating a healthy, stable and beautiful environment! The need for us to support nature rather than destroying it is paramount for the future health of our planet. Thank you!

While it is easier to clear cut land for development, it extracts a high cost to the environment and to the community. Replacing 50 year old oaks that support countless species of birds and insects with saplings is not an “even trade.” Please consider sustainable and environmentally friendly development practices. In the long run, they are economically better for the community.

Please support this bill. We need trees to help with the climate and wildlife. We need to preserve the older trees,.

SUPPORT HB549 I support HB549 because residents deserve the option to live in neighborhoods that prioritize their health and safety. Protecting and restoring tree canopy is a practical way to help reduce extreme heat, improve air quality, and reduce stormwater impacts, especially in neighborhoods that are already underfunded and high-burdened. While the health and safety of people should be the priority, this bill also makes sense for local government and the economy by reducing infrastructure costs.

I support this legislation.

I strongly support HB549. Mature tree canopy is an incredibly important natural resource. Trees protect the health of natural and human communities in numerous important ways, including by reducing flooding risk, offsetting the "heat island" effect, supporting biodiversity and natural food webs, and helping to filter damaging pollutants out of our air and water. Valuing and protecting our trees--particularly mature native trees--represents a significant investment in the wellbeing and quality of life of residents all across Virginia. Once lost, mature trees are not easily or quickly replaced. Please vote to let localities decide on the fate of their tree canopy cover. Thank you for your consideration.

I strongly support HB549. I have lived in Virginia for 10 years now, and the tree loss to development has been staggering. In one swipe, hundreds of mature trees are gone in the blink of an eye. Communities need to have input and basic safeguards need to be placed on development. Let's keep a few trees in Virginia, they are what makes Virginia so special! Trees keep our cities cool, our streets non-flooded, our air clean. Trees are a long term investment in our wellbeing and our quality of life. Trees mean lower risks of flooding and lower electricity bills. Let localities decide on the fate of their tree canopy cover. I strongly urge the committee to support this bill. Thank you for your consideration.

I strongly support House Bill 549, which gives Virginia localities the flexibility they need to conserve and restore tree canopy during development. Virginia has lost more than half a million acres of tree cover in the Chesapeake Bay watershed between 2013 and 2023, largely due to development and infrastructure expansion (according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation). Trees are essential infrastructure that reduce flooding, filter stormwater, protect streams from erosion, and cool neighborhoods, yet many local governments lack the authority to require meaningful tree replacement when canopy is removed. HB 549 provides a balanced approach by empowering localities to establish stronger tree replacement standards while incentivizing the preservation of healthy, mature trees, helping protect residents, green spaces, waterways, and the long-term resilience of communities across the Commonwealth.

I strongly support House Bill 549, which gives Virginia localities the flexibility they need to conserve and restore tree canopy during development. Virginia has lost more than half a million acres of tree cover in the Chesapeake Bay watershed between 2013 and 2023, largely due to development and infrastructure expansion (according to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation). Trees are essential infrastructure that reduce flooding, filter stormwater, protect streams from erosion, and cool neighborhoods, yet many local governments lack the authority to require meaningful tree replacement when canopy is removed. HB 549 provides a balanced approach by empowering localities to establish stronger tree replacement standards while incentivizing the preservation of healthy, mature trees, helping protect residents, green spaces, waterways, and the long-term resilience of communities across the Commonwealth.

I support HB 549. We have suffered tremendous tree loss in Vienna due to development/teardowns, sidewalk renovations and Dominion Energy aggressively felling trees along the W&OD that bisects our town. HB 549 would allow us to modify our local tree ordinance to require a restoration of the target canopy within 10 years instead of 20 years. As other commentators have noted, trees are not just a luxury. They perform valuable functions like stormwater retention, reduce heat island effects, improve water quality and support wildlife. Please give us this tool to help preserve more trees and promote the planting of more trees!

I am writing in support of HB549. Our cities and localities need better tools to protect our tree canopy. From the analysis by the Chesapeake Bay Program, between 2014 and 2021, my City of Chesapeake lost 831 acres of tree canopy, primarily to development. In the same period, the City of Virginia Beach lost 1666 acres. And these loses were repeated in locality after locality. Current state law caps the maximum tree protection that city's can apply during development. We need to do better. And protecting trees is not mutually exclusive from creating affordable housing. When we build affordable housing, we also create a healthy community. The benefits of trees are very well documented - reducing urban heat, reducing cooling costs, reducing stormwater runoff and flooding, improving air quality, helping mental health, reducing crime, calming traffic, reducing noise pollution, protecting biodiversity. The law today limits the tree canopy in multi-familiy developments to 15% tree canopy - and that is at maturity after 20 years; when the development is new, the actuall tree canopy is much less. We need trees in our community. Everyone loves trees. But we keep cutting them down at an unsustainable pace. HB549 will give cities, town, and counties the ability to do better. Please pass this bill. Thank you, Rogard Ross President, Friends of Indian River

Vote yes on legislation that would require restructuring and development companies to replant trees that are removed during construction and to plant additional trees once renovations are complete. Trees are essential to our communities. They improve air quality, reduce stormwater runoff, lower urban temperatures, support wildlife, and enhance the health and well-being of residents. As development continues to grow, it is critical that we balance economic progress with environmental responsibility. Requiring tree replacement and post-project replanting is a practical, forward-thinking solution. It allows necessary development to proceed while ensuring that our natural resources are protected for future generations. Sustainable building practices strengthen our communities, protect property values, and demonstrate long-term stewardship of our environment.

This is a common sense bill that will help our city be more climate resilient, protect air quality, provide food and shelter for wildlife, absorb storm water runoff, and many other benefits. I have been personally affected by the destruction of developers as one completely bulldozed an old growth forest on the lot adjacent to mine to build a house. Without the trees we now have runoff and erosion on our slope as well as more extreme heat in summer. Please protect our trees, we can’t live without them.

Please vote YES to this proven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets: -Reduces extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves. -Improves stormwater management and water quality. -Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. -Improves public health and life expectancy. -Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties for violating tree canopy ordinances to $2,500. This is critically important to human health as well as environmental protection.

The Richmond Tree Stewards urge you to support HB 549. By allowing local governments to require tree canopy cover goals to be met by developers within 10 years rather than 20, this bill would have positive impacts across a variety of realms, including but not limited to the environmental, public health, economic, and infrastructure arenas. Prioritizing the conservation of existing mature trees, as this bill does, would be particularly important for communities across Virginia because the benefits derived from trees increase with age and size. It often takes years for a newly planted tree to begin to meaningfully create shade, mitigate heat islands, minimize runoff, and filter the air, and it takes decades to fully recreate the lost benefits of a mature tree. In the short term, it can take over 40 newly planted trees to replace the lost value of a mature tree. Trees are not a luxury; they are a critical element of infrastructure. The presence of trees mitigates urban heat, manages stormwater, and improves water quality. Working to preserve trees and replace them when necessary is necessary for sustainable development and long-term community welfare. Passing HB 549 is an important first step in allowing local governments to treat trees as the public assets that they are. Please support HB 549.

Not all trees are performing ecosystem services the same way. A large body of research tells us that mature trees perform services like rainwater interception & uptake, carbon storage, air purification, soil stabilization, microclimate regulation/extreme heat mitigation, and others much more efficiently and at vastly higher rates than newly planted saplings. In the developed/urban canopy, where tree regeneration is slow and must be deliberately enabled by humans, and where many of our mature trees have already been culled, protection and retention of mature trees during development is crucial for protecting valuable ecosystem services as well as community well-being. This bill promotes sound, common sense policy that is firmly grounded in science and community health research. Strongly support passage of this bill!

Please pass this bill. Trees are essential, not just for good ol' air CO2 removal, but overall air quality. Marginalized communities deal with enough pollution as it is, due to placement of factories, power plants and landfills. Having more - and healthier - trees will reduce pollution in the air as trees can clean the air in and of themselves. Not to mention, "heat islands" in the cities need more shade. Nature and vegetation naturally improves mental health for people as well, which will make people more productive in their day-to-day lives, and can bring communities together. And this will gobble up a lot of water to reduce flooding, and block pollution runoff into the already-polluted water sources.

Please support SB549 as it is critical to maintaining a healthy tree canopy, especially in semi-urban areas such as Arlington, VA. This is critical for stormwater management, for reducing occurrences of extreme heat, and for clean air. Currently we see our mature canopy trees being clear-cut for development, making our communities less healthy and adding to public expenses of health emergencies and flooding. Local governments need the authority to respond to local conditions and issues. This is an important issue to my community and I urge you to vote YES on SB549.

Please support SB549 as it is critical to maintaining a healthy tree canopy, especially in semi-urban areas such as Arlington, VA. This is critical for stormwater management, for reducing occurrences of extreme heat, and for clean air. Currently we see our mature canopy trees being clear-cut for development, making our communities less healthy and adding to public expenses of health emergencies and flooding. Local governments need the authority to respond to local conditions and issues. This is an important issue to my community and I urge you to vote YES on SB549.

Many residents in Richmond already face negative effects of development, including a large concentration of residents living in urban heat islands in Southside. Responsible development includes keeping residents (and trees) in mind when designing and constructing. Richmond residents deserve infrastructure that supports reduced heat and flooding, not developments that make the problem worse. They aren't "just trees," they are integral pre-existing infrastructure that needs to be considered and protected.

Trees (particularly native tree species) are essential infrastructure. They cool the surrounding environment, provide shade for humans, reduce storm water runoff, are beautiful, reduce erosion, and provide food and cover for essential insects, pollinators, and other wildlife. Trees are also essential in allowing rain to move inland from the coast and make a huge difference in shaping our local climate. We NEED to prioritize the maintenance of a tree canopy during lot development.

As polls, "top places to live" lists, and real estate prices demonstrate, people want to live in places with green space, and mature trees. Having attractive green space in a city, town, or county, doesn't just "happen". It takes planning, funding, and laws and regulations to make it happen. In other words, it takes INTENTION. I support the passage of HB549. While writing this I keep thinking of the lyrics from the Joni Mitchell song Big Yellow Taxi- They paved paradise And put up a parking lot With a pink hotel *, a boutique And a swinging hot spot Don't it always seem to go That you don't know what you've got Till it's gone

Please support HB549. Localities throughout Virginia should have the authority to set tree preservation and replacement standards to conserve mature trees during development. Preserving existing canopy protects the health of Virginians by mitigating heat islands and flooding. It also preserves the unique beauty of our landscapes and habitat for the pollinators that are essential for food production.

I support the conservation of trees for the many good things that they do. Thank you for also supporting this bill.

Trees are natural resource that take so long to grow, and need to be respected as critical infrastructure. I am in favor of all possible ordinances against developers in order to protect our trees. The short term profit is not worth the long term community benefits.

I support HB549. The preservation of mature trees and replacement of trees lost during the development process is necessary for the reduction of urban heat islands, to improve air quality, and to protect wildlife.

This is the obvious choice for Virginia. Trees are our number one defense against extreme heat, flooding, and poor air quality. Plus it makes HUMAN BEINGS healthier to be in places with ample trees and their shade. If development just concerned concrete and steel that would be one thing, but development concerns HUMAN BEINGS living and working and commuting and, hopefully, thriving. Without trees being considered in development we're leaving out the human aspect of development...TO OUR OWN PERIL. This bill must be passed.

This seems a no brainer and an integral part of not only keeping our community in better condition ecologically, but also keep it as a more 'desirable' place to live. It's common knowledge that the more 'green' a development is (aka lushly planted, vigorous tree canopy), the more tax payers want to live there. If you're unable to view this from a purely health/environmental perspective, then view the money side.

Mature trees must be protected to preserve habitat for wildlife and mitigate extreme weather. It takes years if not decades to regrow trees to maturity, so it is not enough for developers to cut them down and replant them - we must also protect the mature trees in these areas being developed.

Trees protect us from extreme heat, flooding, and poor air quality — and local governments should have the tools to keep them.

Trees provide shade, keeping our streets cooler. Cooler temperatures mean less money spent on cooling in the summer. Trees help wildlife survive. Trees add to property value by providing beauty to neighborhoods. Please support this bill.

I am writing today in support of HB 549. Loss of mature trees in urban environments leaves communities more vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, and poor air quality. We are already experiencing extreme weather events and the further loss of trees does not help. Families living in highly burdened census tracts — where poverty and pollution overlap —experience hotter summers, higher asthma rates, and shorter life expectancies. More intense rain events driven by climate change are overwhelming stormwater systems, increasing flash flooding, property damage, and insurance costs for Virginia families. Reduced tree canopy is linked to higher rates of emergency room visits and health emergencies, particularly among Black residents and other historically overburdened communities. It is imperative that local and state governments be required to preserve or replace trees during the development process. It is very important for the future health of the Commonwealth, our children, and the earth. I urge you to consider a requirement of development sites to meet specified tree canopy or tree cover targets at a minimum within 10 years maximum, sooner as practical. We cannot delay. HB549 is a practical, locally driven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Please ... SUPPORT HB549 Wanda L. Reese Resident of Chesterfield County, Virginia

SUPPORT HB549 Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets: Reduces extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves. Improves stormwater management and water quality. Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. Improves public health and life expectancy.

I support HB549. Conservation and replacement of trees during development should be a common practice. Trees provide myriad benefits to people (e.g. shade, flood mitigation, CO2 emissions) and wildlife (primarily food and shelter).

I support HB 549, which would help communities across the Commonwealth of Virginia preserve their vital tree canopies. Higher tree canopies are associated with higher property values, better air quality, and better mental health. Communities should be allowed to preserve them.

We need a mechanism to protect private trees in Richmond. In the last decade, Richmond has lost a considerable percentage of its canopy to development. I am excited about the growth of our city, but would like it to be done equitably and sustainably. According to the recent CBF Tree Cover Status and change report, we lost 199 Acres of tree cover from 2014 to 2021.

I am a resident of Arlington County and I strong support HB549. Arlington is rapidly losing trees that cool neighborhoods, protect people's health, and controls stormwater runoff. HB549 would allow communities like Arlington greater power to protect these trees. Protecting tree canopies is also an environmental justice issue, since disadvantaged neighborhoods tend to have less tree coverage and are subsequently hotter. This means that this bill is very much compatible with the goals of equity and care for the environment.

I strongly support HP 549 that will give localities in dense urban and suburban areas an important tool to protect and expand their tree canopy coverage. In Arlington, on a daily basis we are losing mature trees--I am facing the loss of four mature trees due to redevelopment of the house next to mine. Trees cool our neighborhoods, manage stormwater runoff, filter pollutants, and improves physical and mental health. In addition, equitable distribution of tree canopy coverage is an environmental justice issue.  In Arlington, neighborhoods with a higher share low income and disadvantaged residents also have fewer trees and temperatures during the summer can be 10 degrees or more higher than in affluent and leafy neighborhoods. Including meaningful tree canopy coverage in all developments, and particularly for affordable housing projects, is not only compatible with expanding housing stock but the right thing to do. 

I am a medical student that is very concerned about our public health and I feel this bill (HB 549) is an excellent way to support public health through actionable support of green spaces, reducing extreme heat, and especially supporting our most marginalized groups. Thank you

This bill will allow local governments to require the preservation or replacement of trees during development. HB549 is a practical, locally driven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Richmond is known for its trees. Recent hurricanes which have ripped up thousands of trees and devastated some neighborhoods have shown us how precious they are. Trees sequester carbon, provide shade and food for wildlife. They take decades to grow, making them irreplaceable. I urge you to move forward this practical, common sense bill.

Too often development does not prioritize the preservation of old trees which provide numerous benefits to humans, wildlife, and the air quality alike. Please support this bill

Please protect the trees!

Here’s a polished, professional paragraph you can use: I strongly support HB549. As a professional ecologist, I recognize how essential mature trees are to the health and resilience of communities across Virginia. Trees provide critical ecosystem services—cooling neighborhoods during extreme heat, improving air quality, reducing stormwater runoff, supporting wildlife habitat, and enhancing overall quality of life for residents. Protecting existing canopy and ensuring meaningful replacement during development is a practical, science‑based approach that will benefit every Virginian, now and for generations to come.

I strongly support this bill to try to protect more large, old trees from developers. As a Richmond resident, I know urban and suburban trees prevent heat deserts, provide wildlife habitat, filter water, retain methane in the atmosphere, and add to the value of my home and neighborhood. Too often I’ve seen trees like a beautiful, very large one on my street in Libbie Mill midtown, be mowed down to build housing or retail (despite a hawk nest in its branches). Residents in historically minority neighbors also lose trees at a higher rate than elsewhere. Please set up more requirements about tree protection by developers to benefit us all.

Trees are an important part of healthy communities!! People want to thrive, not just survive. Planting trees is a smart investment! People like to live in neighborhoods with trees! More people = more trees.

I support this bill, but wish it went further in allowing localities to manage tree canopy within there jurisdictions. Painting the Commonwealth with a single brush stroke does not take into account how vastly different some are than others. The bill as drafted allows all localities to implement greater tree canopy requirements during development than current legislation, which is absolutely a step in the right direction. But it focuses on the number of units per acre to determine how great of a tree canopy requirement can be implemented. For a locality like the City of Richmond, residential density is quite high, but our need for trees is higher. I live in a community with small houses on small lots, which is also a heat island due to years of tree loss. It could easily support 25-30% tree canopy requirements, but under the draft legislation, the city could only require 10% tree canopy during development because of the zoned density per acre. What we really need is the ability to set the percentage of tree canopy based on our zoning districts the way we define them and not by the random measure of "units per acre." That way we can plan for and build the types of communities we want to live in. We are able to do it for the types of buildings through the zoning ordinance, so why can't we do it for the type of natural environment, too? We need more trees. We have already planted over 160 new street trees throughout our neighborhood, but we need hundreds more to improve the temperature and health outcomes for my neighbors. We need developers to help by recognizing when they come into our community that they have an impact and trees are an asset to everyone. Unfortunately, many seem only interested in what maximizes their profit. One recently cleaned an entire lot taking down the house (full of contents) and twelve mature trees as the first step of their project. Now they want to build two duplexes and while the plan submitted with the special use permit application shows the houses in great detail, it does not show a single tree being replanted. We need to have the ability as a city and as a community to say this is not acceptable no matter what the "unit per acre" density is. Again, I support this bill if it is the best we can do this year, but I know we can do better and allow localities to plan and manage their natural environment the same way we manage buildings, roads, water, sewer and other critical infrastructure. There is little infrastructure more critical than trees.

Please support HB549 regarding the conservation and replacement of trees during the development process. There are no requirements to consider the old growth trees when developing wooded property . Companies simply clearcut everything, to make it easier to build. It is important to conserve our old growth trees and incorporate as many as possible into the design. It takes a long time for baby trees to be as effective as the older one that were mowed down. We deserve better planning and efforts to increase the conservation of these older trees, many who have been around longer than you or I.

Comments Document

My name is Kami Blatt, and I am submitting this comment on behalf of Southside ReLeaf in strong support of HB 549. Southside ReLeaf works in communities across Southside Richmond that have faced decades of disinvestment and exclusion from environmental protections. These neighborhoods consistently have some of the lowest tree canopy coverage in the region and some of the worst health outcomes. In Southside Richmond, residents can expect to live nearly 20 years less than those in wealthier parts of the region. This gap is driven by factors such as extreme heat exposure, poor air quality, flooding, and limited access to green space. Tree canopy plays a critical role in addressing these disparities. Trees lower neighborhood temperatures during extreme heat, reduce harmful air pollution, manage stormwater and reduce flooding, and support both physical and mental health. In communities with limited tree coverage, residents are more vulnerable to heat related illness, asthma, cardiovascular disease, and other climate related health risks. HB 549 is especially important because it prioritizes the protection of mature trees, which provide the greatest environmental and health benefits. Mature trees offer significantly more cooling, pollution reduction, and stormwater absorption than newly planted trees. Once removed, these benefits cannot be quickly replaced. When tree removal does occur, meaningful replacement is essential to ensure that canopy loss does not compound existing health and environmental harms over time. As climate change accelerates and extreme heat and storms become more frequent, the loss of tree canopy poses serious risks to community health and safety. Communities should not have to choose between development and their health or between economic growth and climate resilience. HB 549 takes an important step toward treating tree canopy as essential infrastructure. By protecting mature trees and strengthening replacement standards, this legislation helps ensure development does not further burden communities that are already overexposed to environmental and health risks. We ask that you pass HB 549 because protecting tree canopy is essential to public health, climate resilience, and community safety across the Commonwealth.

I strongly support Patrick Hope's HB 549. Between 2013 and 2023 Virginia lost over 500,000 acres of forest and tree canopy, and development has not been slowing down. Allowing localities additional authority to establish tree canopy goals such as shortening the time from 20 years to 10 years in which certain tree canopy cover percentages should be met at the development site will do a lot to stem tree loss in Virginia.

I strongly support HB549 because protecting and replacing trees is essential to public health, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.

I support this bill fully and wish it went even further to not restrict locality’s to enforce protection of existing trees and increase our tree canopy. This is a great start though.

Why This Matters Loss of mature trees in urban environments leaves communities more vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, and poor air quality. Families living in highly burdened census tracts — where poverty and pollution overlap — experience hotter summers, higher asthma rates, and shorter life expectancies. More intense rain events driven by climate change are overwhelming stormwater systems, increasing flash flooding, property damage, and insurance costs for Virginia families. Reduced tree canopy is linked to higher rates of emergency room visits and health emergencies, particularly among Black residents and other historically overburdened communities. Prepared by: Kami Blatt, Policy Specialist | kami@southsidereleaf.org Summary The bill extends authority, currently limited to Planning District 8, to all localities statewide, allowing local governments to require the preservation or replacement of trees during the development process. It also authorizes localities to establish higher tree canopy replacement standards based on factors such as development density, lot size, or other locally relevant measures. These standards are intended to reduce urban heat islands, collect stormwater pollution, improve air quality, and strengthen community resilience. Legislation includes several technical changes, such as requiring development sites to meet specified tree canopy or tree cover targets within 10 years rather than 20 years. Reasons to Support HB549 is a practical, locally driven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets: SUPPORT HB549 Conservation and replacement of trees during development process. Bill Patron: Delegate Patrick Hope Reduces extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves. Improves stormwater management and water quality. Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. Improves public health and life expectancy. Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties for violating tree canopy ordinance(s.) Please protect our tree canopy from development clearing by requiring the preservation AND timely replacement of vital cooling trees.

Tree canopies reduce extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves, which Richmond has seen quite an increase in the past decade.

Preserving tree canopy improves the health of communities and the people that live in them. Trees improve air quality and helps with storm water management. I work for a new home developer and we want to see better tree management and agree our industry can and should be forced by the municipalitues they build in to maintain or regrow trees displaced for development.

Bill HB549: Trees cool neighborhoods and cities - the difference is felt significantly between streets with mature tree canopy and streets without. I cannot imagine the discomfort and stress that gets added to an already too hot summer, when there is no shade to be found where we work and especially, where we live. Though I am fortunate to have moved to a tree-lined street, since my arrival here four years ago, five trees have died, four of those dead trees have been removed, NONE as yet have been replaced. It's alarming, unattractive, and I am now faced with the prospect of a summer with no tree to shade my apartment during the hottest parts of the day. Please, do whatever it requires to plant, replace, and prune (for health) more trees!

As president of Richmond Tree Stewards, I endorse HB549 for all of the health, ecological, economic and social benefits outlined by other supporters. Trees, whether on private or public property, have a fundamental and positive impact on the character, beauty, health, and even safety of a community. This legislation fills a gap in local government's ability to guide development while protecting our valuable tree canopy. H.B. 549 is a logical and necessary tool for localities seeking a balance between their natural and built environment. We ask your support.

SUPPORT HB549 This is a community driven effort to support the conservation and replacement of trees during development.

SUPPORT HB549 this is a community driven effort to support the conservation and replacement of trees during development. This measure would improve stormwater management and water quality. Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. Improves public health and life expectancy. Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties

This bill will provide the authority needed across the Commonwealth for localities to reduce health hazards, stormwater runoff, higher temperatures (also known as the heat island effect), and increased energy costs for cooling in urban communities. It will also protect the old stock tree cover and aesthetic for which Virginia cities are known. This is a common-sense way to maintain the benefits we receive from trees and allow for the construction of new homes, businesses, and other facilities. I encourage you to vote in support of HB549.

Comments Document

HB549 is a practical, locally driven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets: -Reduces extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves. -Improves stormwater management and water quality. -Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. -Improves public health and life expectancy. -Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties for violating tree canopy ordinances to $2,500. See more in prepared attachment.

SUPPORT HB549 HB549 is a practical, locally driven solution that provides additional tools to protect public health, improve water quality, strengthen climate resilience, and save taxpayer dollars — while addressing Virginia’s alarming loss of tree canopy. Preserving mature trees and investing in trees as infrastructural assets: Reduces extreme heat and protects residents during heat waves. Improves stormwater management and water quality. Saves local governments money and reduces infrastructure costs. Improves public health and life expectancy. Strengthens enforcement by increasing penalties for violating tree canopy ordinances to $2,500.

HB 1234 Please facilitate the ease of employing solar canopies in parking lots for both cheap electricity and utilizing non-green space. HB 549 Please allow localities strong input in tree loss mitigation and replacement in development.

I strongly support HB549 because protecting and replacing trees is essential to public health, climate resilience, and community wellbeing across Virginia. The loss of mature tree canopy leaves neighborhoods more vulnerable to extreme heat, flooding, and poor air quality — impacts that fall hardest on low-income and historically overburdened communities. By giving local governments the authority to preserve trees and set stronger canopy standards, this bill provides a practical, locally driven tool to reduce urban heat islands, manage stormwater, and improve air quality. Trees are critical infrastructure, and HB549 helps ensure Virginia invests in them wisely and equitably.

Please preserve and replace trees during development. Please don't pave our paradise with bare dirt and parking lots.

I am a resident of a heat island in Richmond. Without the protection of tree canopy, temperatures in summer get hotter here than in wealthier areas of the region. It makes no sense for developers to remove all trees from an area just to replace them with non native plantings of one type of tree that will take decades to equal what was removed. This common sense approach will save localities the cost of mitigating flooding and poor air quality. Greater tree canopy protects public health and prevents things like overwhelming storm water runoff. Every community in the Commonwealth deserves this.

Comments Document

See attached.

I am writing in support of Del. Hope's efforts to preserve (and even enhance) vital tree canopy. My neighborhood (Cherrydale in Arlington VA) has seen the loss of much of our tree canopy through redevelopment of single-family homes and severe flooding has been a very clear result of this loss.

Good morning, My name is Erik Forys, a father and homeowner in Clarke County VA. Thank you Chairman Askew and members of the committee for allowing me the time to speak in favor of HB779, and thank you to Delegate Oates and her staff for taking the time to read through my suggestion in August of last year to create a new class of small portable solar generation devices with a max power output of no more than 1200 watts, inspired by Utah's HB340. This bill will allow homeowners and renters to offset a portion of their electricity bill with a small, portable solar array mounted to a balcony and plugged into a standard wall outlet. Since overhead is much lower, the usual solar payback period of more than 10 years is easily halved and opens up a new category of solar devices in the 3-figure range instead of the 5-figure range. This bill cuts through red tape and increases access to affordable energy. I would also like to use my time to suggest a small amendment involving the the device definitions. The bill defines a plug-in solar photovoltaic device as having 'a maximum power output of no more than 1200 watts that is not designed to be interconnected with the electric grid. HB779 already includes provisions for anti-islanding protection, so this additional language involving non-grid-interconnection is unnecessary. If zero-export or non-export requirements are mandated into law, the payback period would be much longer since the cost of the system would be twice the cost of a system without non-export hardware.

Podemos ablar de los abusos de renta

Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative would like to express our support to the patron, Delegate Oates, for her inclusion of language, in HB 779, requiring notification of the electric utility prior to installation of a small portable solar generation device. These devices are capable of backfeeding electric current into the grid, despite the presence of measures installed in the devices, placing electric lineworkers in danger. Any amount of electricity which backfeeds into the grid may be transformed into distribution level voltage and presents a potentially fatal risk to lineworkers unaware of the presence of such a device. Consumers notifying the utility of the presence of these small portable solar generation devices allows the utility to take the necessary safety precautions when working in proximity to locations with these devices and implement safeguards while performing maintenance or restoration work. Shenandoah Valley Electric Cooperative and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative appreciate Delegate Oates's recognition of this serious safety issue for utility lineworkers and we support inclusion of utility notification in HB 779.