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Virginia bills · 2026 Regular Session

Virginia SB 448

Electric utilities; energy storage requirements, Department of Energy to develop model ordinance.

  1. Introduced
  2. In committee
  3. Passed Senate
  4. Passed House
  5. To Governor
  6. Became law

Sponsors

Summary

Official abstract published by the Virginia legislature· SUMMARY AS PASSED

Electric utilities; energy storage resources; Department of Energy to develop model ordinances; State Corporation Commission to conduct technology demonstration program. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 16,000 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 4,000 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. Under the bill, the Commission shall approve an independent auditor to help develop criteria for and to help review requests for proposals for new energy storage resources. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2031. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission. The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to develop model ordinances suggested for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects by December 1, 2026. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a technical conference by September 1, 2026, to evaluate safety standards and practices for energy storage development. The bill also includes a provision authorizing the Commission to evaluate energy storage project proposals during annual petitions filed for the development of new renewable generation capacity. This bill is identical to HB 895.

Text versions

Roll-call votes

State vote data last updated Oct 14, 2026, 8:01 AM.

DateVoteResultYour legislators
Mar 12, 2026
Senate		Concur House Substitute RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 11, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 11, 2026
House		H VOTE:passSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 5, 2026
House		Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Mar 3, 2026
House		Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 16, 2026
Senate		Passage RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 12, 2026
Senate		Constitutional reading dispensed RpassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 11, 2026
Senate		Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see
Feb 9, 2026
Senate		Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitutepassSet your home in Virginia to see

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