An Act to amend and reenact § 56-594.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to electric utilities; shared solar programs; Phase II Utility.
HB807 amends Virginia’s shared solar statute for Phase II utilities by updating and clarifying the definitions that govern the shared solar program. The bill defines key terms such as bill credit, gross bill, net bill, minimum bill, subscriber, subscriber organization, low-income customer, low-income shared solar facility, and dual-use agricultural facility. It also refines the definition of a shared solar facility, including capacity limits, subscriber thresholds, and the requirement that the facility be located on a single parcel of land and interconnected with a Phase II utility’s distribution system.
The measure is primarily a technical and program-structuring bill. It standardizes terminology used in the administration of shared solar projects and sets the framework for how subscriptions, bill credits, and program participation are measured under the Code of Virginia. By doing so, it affects investor-owned utilities, solar developers, subscriber organizations, and customers participating in community solar arrangements, including low-income participants and agricultural operators using dual-use solar sites.
HB807 directly amends § 56-594.3 of the Code of Virginia, which governs shared solar programs for Phase II utilities. Its legal effect is to update the statutory definitions that will be used by the State Corporation Commission and utilities in implementing and regulating shared solar facilities, including eligibility rules, subscription sizing, and crediting mechanisms. The bill does not create a new program from scratch, but it shapes how the existing shared solar framework operates for utilities and subscribers in Virginia.
The available record suggests generally neutral to favorable sentiment, with the bill appearing to be a noncontroversial update to existing solar program law. Because there are no committee transcripts or recorded votes included, there is no evidence of significant opposition or debate in the provided materials. The bill’s approval and enactment indicate it moved successfully through the legislative process.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas that could have drawn attention, based on the text, include the 40 percent subscription requirement for smaller customers, the 30 percent threshold for low-income shared solar facilities, and the treatment of subscriber organizations operating across multiple utility territories. However, the record supplied here does not show any named opponents, amendments, or disputed issues.