A BILL to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Chapter 11.1 of Title 10.1 an article numbered 6, consisting of a section numbered 10.1-1197.12, relating to Waste to Energy Grant Program established; report.
HB115 would create a new Waste to Energy Grant Program within the Department of Environmental Quality to encourage certain localities in Planning District 23 to dispose of waste at a qualifying waste-to-energy plant. The bill defines an eligible locality as a county, city, or town in Planning District 23 and a qualifying plant as a facility in that district that burns waste to produce useful energy such as steam, mechanical power, or electricity.
Under the program, and subject to appropriation by the General Assembly, the Department would award eligible localities a $30,000 grant on a first-come, first-served basis for costs associated with disposing of waste at the qualifying plant. To apply, a locality would need to identify the plant used, the amount of waste disposed of there, and provide documentation such as an agreement, bill of sale, or invoice showing the waste was delivered to the plant. The Department would also be required to administer the program and issue implementation guidelines.
The bill would add a new section to Title 10.1 of the Code of Virginia establishing a targeted grant program for waste-to-energy disposal in one planning district. It would not broadly change statewide waste management law, but it would create a new discretionary state funding mechanism for a limited set of local governments and a specific type of energy facility. The Department would also have to produce an annual report on program use and its effects on waste management and energy production in participating localities.
The available record shows little direct debate or recorded vote activity, so there is no strong evidence of broad support or opposition from committee discussion. The bill’s structure suggests a policy interest in promoting waste diversion and energy recovery, but its narrow geographic scope and contingent funding likely limited visible controversy at the introductory stage. Its last recorded action was being left in the House Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources.
The main potential points of contention are the bill’s narrow focus on Planning District 23, the use of state grant funds for a single waste-to-energy disposal pathway, and the fact that the program depends on future appropriations. Supporters would likely view it as an incentive for local waste management and energy production, while critics could question whether the subsidy is too limited, whether it favors one facility or region, and whether waste combustion is the best environmental strategy compared with recycling, composting, or other disposal methods.