Virginia Commerce and Labor (S02) Committee Docket — 2026-02-12

Summary

A Virginia Commerce and Labor Senate committee docket dated 2026-02-12 for the 2026 Regular session, listing R. Creigh Deeds as Chair. The agenda lists Senate bills with summaries, including SB31 and SB191 on railroad safety, which require a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight. SB40 removes provisions requiring deficiency payments under the renewable energy portfolio standard program. SB466 prohibits recovery from any other customer of costs of electric distribution infrastructure that primarily serves the load of a data center.

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TITLE: Virginia Commerce and Labor (S02) Committee Docket — 2026-02-12
DATE: 2026-02-12T16:30:00
SESSION: 2026 Regular (20261)
CHAMBER: Senate

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
  - R. Creigh Deeds (D) Chair

STAFF: Lehman, Hobie                 , Bricourt, Kat, Thomas Stevens, Kinzer, Sarah                 , Ali, Marvi

DOCKET / AGENDA:

[Senate Bill in Committee]
  1. SB31 - Railroad safety; minimum train crew used in movement of freight, civil penalties.
       Patron(s): Carroll Foy
       Summary: Railroad safety; minimum train crew; movement of freight; civil penalties. Requires a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight. The bill requires a railroad company that violates its provisions to pay certain fines for first, second, and third or subsequent violations within three years.
  2. SB40 - Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program, deficiency payments.
       Patron(s): Stanley
       Summary: Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program; deficiency payments. Removes provisions requiring deficiency payments by certain electric utilities if such utilities are unable to meet the compliance obligation of the renewable energy portfolio standard (RPS) program requirements or if the cost of renewable energy certificates necessary to comply with RPS program requirements exceeds $45 per megawatt hour.
  3. SB72 - Electric utilities; energy efficiency upgrades, report.
       Patron(s): Srinivasan
       Summary: Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the Stat
  4. SB104 - Electric utilities; customer bill requirements, rate adjustment clauses.
       Patron(s): Stanley
       Summary: Electric utilities; customer bill requirements; rate adjustment clauses. Requires Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to provide a list on each residential customer bill of each rate adjustment clause applicable to such bill and the corresponding amount due as a result of such rate adjustment clause. The bill requires each utility to maintain on its publicly accessible website certain additional information relating to rate adjustment clauses.
  5. SB191 - Railroad safety; minimum train crew used in movement of freight.
       Patron(s): Williams Graves
       Summary: Railroad safety; minimum train crew; movement of freight. Requires a crew of at least two qualified individuals on all trains, locomotives, or light engines used in connection with moving freight except in use for hostler or utility service. The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to include in an existing report the number of probable violations of federal regulations related to railroad safety investigated by the Commission's Division of Utility and Railroad Safety and reported to the Federal Railroad Administration for enforcement. This bill is identical to HB 25.
  6. SB233 - Fire Programs Fund; distribution of fund.
       Patron(s): Head
       Summary: Fire Programs Fund; work group; report. Directs the Department of Fire Programs to establish a work group to evaluate the funding formula for the distribution of aid to localities through the Fire Programs Fund.
  7. SB256 - Appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; requirement of manufacturers.
       Patron(s): McPike
       Summary: Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty. Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. The bill prohibits an
  7. SB256 - Appliance minimum energy and water conservation standards; requirement of manufacturers.
       Patron(s): McPike
       Summary: Minimum energy and water conservation standards; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning facilities and home appliances; Department of Energy; prohibited practices; penalty. Provides that if any product or product categories under the federal Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 (the EPCA) are removed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy or the federal government, the Department of Energy shall adopt energy or water conservation standards that shall be equivalent to the last applicable federal standards with a product compliance date of on or before December 31, 2025. The bill prohibits an
  8. SB267 - Electric utility infrastructure; Dept. of Energy & SCC to conduct comprehensive analysis, report.
       Patron(s): VanValkenburg
       Summary: State Corporation Commission; electric utility infrastructure; report. Directs the Department of Energy (the Department), in consultation with the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), Appalachian Power, and Dominion Energy Virginia, to conduct a comprehensive analysis of existing electric utility infrastructure to identify cost-saving opportunities that improve or preserve electric system reliability as an alternative or supplement to greenfield infrastructure projects. Provided that the Department receives sufficient voluntary financial contributions to engage independent consulting
  9. SB310 - State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain proceedings.
       Patron(s): Hackworth
       Summary: State Corporation Commission; time frame for completion of certain proceedings. Requires the State Corporation Commission to complete proceedings involving an application for a certificate, permit, or approval required for the construction or operation by a public utility of certain transmission lines within nine months following such application, as required by current law for small renewable energy projects. The bill permits the Commission to enlarge such nine-month period for up to 120 days for applications regarding certain transmission lines. This bill is identical to HB 466.
  10. SB334 - Conveyances of interests in real property; public hearing required.
       Patron(s): Roem
       Summary: Conveyances of interests in real property; public hearing required. Requires localities disposing of any permanent easements or rights-of-way for the construction of (i) new electric transmission or distribution facilities of more than 69 kilovolts, (ii) data center operations or supporting electric transmission or distribution facilities of more than 69 kilovolts, or (iii) any commercial or industrial facility that requires electric service through facilities described in clause (i) to hold a public hearing prior to disposing of any such real property interest. The bill requires that such pub
  11. SB339 - SCC; cost allocation proceedings for certain electric utilities, definitions.
       Patron(s): Perry
       Summary: State Corporation Commission; cost allocation proceedings for certain electric utilities. Directs the State Corporation Commission to conduct proceedings to review cost allocation among different customer classifications for certain electric utilities. For Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, the Commission is directed to determine if the cost allocation of transmission costs require customers that are not high-load customers, as defined in the bill, to unreasonably subsidize the transmission costs attributable to serving high-load customers by January 1, 2027. For Dominion Energy, the Commi
  12. SB423 - Electric utilities; duty to furnish adequate service, high-demand customers.
       Patron(s): Perry
       Summary: Electric utilities; delay in provision of service permitted. Provides that a distributor of electric energy may delay the provision of service if such delay is necessary to maintain electric grid reliability, to avoid exceeding available generation or transmission capacity constraints, or to ensure compliance with load interconnection policies or rules issued by the State Corporation Commission or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. The bill has a delayed effective date of July 1, 2027. This bill is identical to HB 1151.
  13. SB457 - Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard eligible sources, etc.
       Patron(s): DeSteph
       Summary: Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard eligible sources; zero-carbon electricity generating nuclear facilities. Provides that, for the purposes of the renewable energy portfolio standard, eligible sources include zero-carbon electricity generating nuclear facilities located in the Commonwealth.
  14. SB458 - Electric utilities; regional energy market.
       Patron(s): DeSteph
       Summary: Electric utilities; regional energy market. Permits Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to join a regional energy market.
  15. SB466 - Electric utilities; cost recovery, costs substantially related to serving data center customers.
       Patron(s): Stuart
       Summary: Electric utilities; electric distribution infrastructure serving data centers. Prohibits the costs associated with the construction or extension of any electric distribution infrastructure that primarily serves the load of a data center, including the costs of any associated land acquisition, from being recovered from any other customer.
  16. SB470 - Electric utilities; renewable portfolio standard program, zero-carbon electricity, etc.
       Patron(s): Marsden
       Summary: Electric utilities; renewable portfolio standard program; zero-carbon electricity; accelerated renewable energy buyers. Classifies zero-carbon electricity generating facilities that are not otherwise renewable portfolio standard (RPS) program eligible sources and that are placed into service in the Commonwealth after July 1, 2030, as RPS eligible sources. The bill permits an accelerated renewable energy buyer to contract to obtain bundled capacity, energy, and renewable energy certificates from solar, wind, or zero-carbon electricity generation located within the PJM region and placed in comme
  17. SB497 - Transmission lines, certain; Department of Transportation to identify opportunities for siting.
       Patron(s): Perry
       Summary: Policy of the Commonwealth; siting of certain new electric transmission facilities; Department of Transportation work group; report. Provides that in the siting of new electric transmission facilities, it is the policy of the Commonwealth that existing linear infrastructure corridors shall be prioritized over new corridors. The bill directs the Department of Transportation to convene a work group to identify opportunities and develop recommendations to amend regulations and permitting processes to facilitate the expedient and efficient siting of new electrical transmission infrastructure in ex
  18. SB503 - Phase II Utility; rates, terms, and conditions of services, certain customers.
       Patron(s): Roem
       Summary: Phase II Utility; rates, terms, and conditions of services; certain customers. Requires Dominion Energy Virginia to establish rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services for its customers within the GS-5 rate class, as established by final order of the State Corporation Commission, that require each such customer to pay a minimum generation charge equal to 100 percent of such customers' contracted electric demand.
  19. SB512 - Electric utilities; rates for generation and distribution services, notice of energy rationing.
       Patron(s): Stanley
       Summary: Electric utilities; rates for generation and distribution services; notice of energy rationing. Prohibits the State Corporation Commission from approving a rate increase proposed by Dominion Energy or Appalachian Power Company unless the utility demonstrates a net increase in total electric generating capacity within the previous rate period. The bill requires any electric utility that, due to an emergency or other energy shortage, rations energy to avoid power outages, including by conducting fuel rationing, load shedding, or disconnections or imposing surcharges, to provide written notice of
  20. SB554 - Zoning; high-energy users, local authority.
       Patron(s): Srinivasan
       Summary: Zoning; high-energy users; local authority. Permits the governing body of any locality to give consideration to the adverse impacts on the electric grid caused by high-energy users, as defined in the bill, and impacts resulting from new electric infrastructure in the design of zoning ordinances and the drawing of districts. The bill also permits the governing body of any locality in Planning District 8 to consider the current availability of electric energy against the expected annual electric energy consumption of high-energy users when evaluating land use applications and zoning amendments.
  21. SB594 - Motor vehicle insurance; unauthorized addition of insured drivers prohibited.
       Patron(s): DeSteph
       Summary: Motor vehicle insurance; unauthorized addition of insured drivers prohibited. Prohibits an insurance carrier authorized to issue motor vehicle liability insurance policies from automatically adding any person to the list of persons insured under a motor vehicle owner's policy or to the household of a named insured for purposes of such policy based solely on certain information enumerated in the bill.
  22. SB598 - Electric utilities; renewable portfolio standard program, zero-carbon electricity, etc.
       Patron(s): Deeds
       Summary: Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard; zero-carbon electricity; accelerated clean energy buyers. Revises the conditions under which accelerated clean energy buyers, defined in existing law as accelerated renewable energy buyers, may contract with Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia to obtain renewable energy certificates (RECs). The bill exempts an accelerated clean energy buyer obtaining capacity, energy, or RECs from qualifying resources or facilities from the assignment of non-bypassable costs associated with compliance with the renewable portfolio standard progr
  23. SB621 - Electric utilities; electric grid utilization metrics; State Corporation Commission.
       Patron(s): Srinivasan
       Summary: Phase I and Phase II Utilities; electric grid utilization metrics. Requires Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval of grid utilization metrics by October 15, 2026, which petition may be consolidated with the integrated resource plan filing for Dominion Energy in 2026. Under the bill, the petition shall include certain assessments comparing current electric grid system performance with optimal utilization of existing electric grid assets. The bill also requires the Commission to include in an existing annual report its findings on each ap
  24. SB627 - Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program.
       Patron(s): DeSteph
       Summary: Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program. Repeals provisions (i) requiring Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to participate in a renewable energy portfolio standard program that requires each such utility to procure and retire renewable energy certificates and (ii) permitting the recovery of certain costs associated with compliance with such program.
  25. SB650 - Public utilities; water and sewerage companies, discounted rates for low-income customers.
       Patron(s): Marsden
       Summary: Public utilities; water and sewerage companies; discounted rates for low-income customers. Provides that a public utility engaged in the business of furnishing water or sewerage facilities may propose and the State Corporation Commission may approve rates and tariff provisions that provide discounted service to customers with an annual household income equal to or less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level. The bill permits the utility to recover the costs of providing such discounted service through its rates for commercial and industrial customers. The bill has a delayed effective da
  26. SB667 - Public service company; prevailing wage rate, apprenticeship requirements, penalties.
       Patron(s): Rouse
       Summary: Prevailing wage rate; apprenticeship requirements; RPS-eligible source work; penalties. Requires each public service company, including its contractors and subcontractors, or third-party developer to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. The bill requires each public service company to (i) ensure that 15 percent of the total labor hours of such work is performed by a qualifie
  27. SB691 - State Corporation Commission; Phase I Utility biennial rate review, reports.
       Patron(s): Suetterlein
       Summary: State Corporation Commission; Phase I Utility; biennial rate review; reports. Directs the State Corporation Commission to adhere to certain requirements and consider certain enumerated factors in its 2026 review of the rates, terms, and conditions for the provision of generation and distribution services by Appalachian Power. The bill prohibits the Commission from approving a rate of return on common equity that is greater than the rate of return approved by the Commission as part of Appalachian Power's preceding biennial rate review unless Appalachian Power demonstrates that such increase is
  28. SB751 - Utility Facilities Act; definition of public utility.
       Patron(s): DeSteph
       Summary: Utility Facilities Act; definition of public utility. Provides that for the purposes of the Utility Facilities Act, the term "public utility" does not include any company that owns or operates one or more facilities for the generation, distribution, or storage of electric energy exclusively for consumption by one or more customers located on the site of such facilities or on adjoining property, provided that such facilities are connected on the customer's side of the electric meter and electricity is delivered without the use of a public utility's distribution or transmission system. The bill
  29. SB752 - Electric utilities; construction and development of renewable energy facilities, etc.
       Patron(s): DeSteph
       Summary: Electric utilities; construction and development of renewable energy facilities; powers of State Air Pollution Control Board; powers of State Corporation Commission. Repeals provisions (i) requiring the State Air Pollution Control Board to adopt regulations to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from any electricity generating unit in the Commonwealth and authorizing the Board to establish an auction program for energy allowances; (ii) prohibiting the State Corporation Commission from approving any new utility-owned generation facilities that emit carbon dioxide as a by-product of energy generatio
  30. SB772 - State Corporation Commission; reliable electricity provision.
       Patron(s): McDougle
       Summary: State Corporation Commission; reliable electricity provision. Provides that it shall be the primary duty of the State Corporation Commission, with respect to electric utility regulation, to ensure that all customers of electric power utilities and cooperatives throughout the Commonwealth are provided reliable electricity at rates that the Commission deems to be low, just, and reasonable.
  31. SB789 - Liquid nicotine and nicotine vapor products; certification.
       Patron(s): Reeves
       Summary: Liquid nicotine and nicotine vapor products; certification. Changes the date from December 31, 2025, to July 1, 2027, by which every manufacturer of liquid nicotine or nicotine vapor products that are sold for retail sale in the Commonwealth must certify to the Attorney General that the manufacturer has met certain statutory requirements.
  32. SB818 - Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.
       Patron(s): Suetterlein
       Summary: Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; renewable portfolio standard requirements. Permits an individual retail customer of electric energy from Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during 2024 or any year thereafter to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless
  32. SB818 - Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.
       Patron(s): Suetterlein
       Summary: Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar yea
  32. SB818 - Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.
       Patron(s): Suetterlein
       Summary: Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar yea

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