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2026 Special Session I

Budget Amendments - HB30 (Conference Report)

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Utility Regulation (language only)

Item 4-14 #3c

Item 4-14 #3c

Effective Date
Effective Date

Language

Page 668, after line 29, insert:

"8. That, notwithstanding any other provision of law, as to any petition filed by a Phase II Utility, as that term is defined in subdivision A 1 of § 56-585.1 of the Code of Virginia (Phase II Utility), on or after July 1, 2026, pursuant to clause (iv) of subdivision A 6 of § 56-585.1 of the Code of Virginia for recovery of costs relating to the replacement of overhead distribution facilities with new underground facilities (strategic undergrounding program), the Phase II Utility shall not seek any annual incremental increase in the level of investments associated with such a petition that exceeds three percent of such utility's distribution rate base, as such rate base was determined for the most recently ended 12-month test period in the Phase II Utility's most recently concluded biennial review proceeding conducted pursuant to subdivision A 3 of § 56-585.1 of the Code of Virginia prior to the filing of such petition, and any strategic undergrounding program of the Phase II Utility for which cost recovery is sought pursuant to clause (iv) of subdivision A 6 of § 56-585.1 of the Code of Virginia shall have an overall cap of 4000 miles of overhead distribution facilities converted to underground service. That, further, a Phase II Utility shall permit a customer executing a new electric service agreement on or after July 1, 2026, or a customer that executed a new electric service agreement between July 1, 2024, and July 1, 2026, to serve facilities that are under construction as of July 1, 2026, that has a contracted or measured electric demand of 25 megawatts or greater and an anticipated or measured average annual electric load factor of 75 percent or greater which maintains a full-time equivalent employment workforce engaged in manufacturing, industrial, or consumer goods warehousing and distribution activities other than data storage, of at least 200 individuals at facilities located within the Phase II Utility's service territory at a single or contiguous customer account location to elect to take service on any rate schedule for which such customer qualifies based on its contracted or measured electric demand, regardless of anticipated or measured annual electric load factor, provided, however, that the electric demand, in the aggregate, of such electing customers shall not exceed 150 megawatts, and the electric demand of any individual customer shall not exceed 50 megawatts, unless the State Corporation Commission (the Commission), in its discretion, determines that exceeding that aggregate cap is in the public interest. In determining the average annual electric load factor of any such customer, or of any such customer making such an election on or before July 1, 2026, the determination of average annual electric load factor shall be in accordance with the Commission-approved terms of the default rate schedule applicable to such customers on and after January 1, 2027. And that, further, with respect to any petition filed by a Phase II Utility between May 1, 2026, and July 15, 2026, for a financing order regarding deferred fuel costs as provided in § 56-249.6:2 of the Code of Virginia, the provisions of the fourth enactment of Chapter 757 or the fourth enactment of Chapter 775 of the Acts of Assembly of 2023 shall apply to any retail customer that is receiving electric service from the Phase II Utility whose demand exceeded five megawatts during calendar year 2025."

Page 668, line 30, strike "8", insert "9".

Page 668, line 31, strike "9", insert "10".

Page 668, line 31, strike "and fourth", insert "fourth and eighth".



Explanation

(This amendment modifies requirements related to the regulation of electric utilities.)