Authority: Title 45.1, Chapter 26, Code of Virginia.

A. Out of this appropriation, $38,362 the first year and $38,362 the second year from the general fund shall be provided for dues and expenses for the Southern States Energy Board.

B. To defray the costs of implementing the Virginia Energy Management Program, the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy is authorized to have included in state fuel oil, natural gas, electricity, and similar energy contracts a provision for suppliers to collect from using agencies and remit to the department an administrative surcharge. The surcharge shall reflect the department's actual costs to administer the program. Additionally, the department is authorized, consistent with federal funding rules, to distribute energy-related federal funds as grants or as loans to other state or nonstate agencies for use in financing energy-related projects, and to recover from the recipient an administrative service charge to recover the department's costs of administering such grant or loan programs.

C. Out of this appropriation, $1,000,000 the first year and $1,000,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to support the development of the solar industry in the Commonwealth. Of these funds in each year, $350,000 shall be used to support a revolving loan program and $650,000 shall be used to support a loan loss reserve program. The department shall transmit specific criteria and guidelines for these programs and awarding these funds to the Governor prior to any expenditure of this appropriation.

D. Out of this appropriation, $120,000 the first year and $120,000 the second year from the general fund is provided to support the development of energy storage systems in the Commonwealth. These funds shall be used to support the development of pumped storage hydro-electric power.