Happy Good Friday!

April 3rd, 2026

The Energy Right team went to the Daffodil Festival in Gloucester County this past week in conjunction with a public hearing on the Purple Martin Energy Facility. As we see more of the General Assembly’s bills reach the Governor’s table, we are hopeful to see actionable change across the Commonwealth!

First Wave of Energy Bills Signed By Governor Spanberger

This week, Energy Right began monitoring legislation from the Governor’s desk as Abigail Spanberger took action on 22 bills passed by the General Assembly and signed them into law. Energy policy was among the most prominent areas addressed, with 9 of the 22 bills focused on energy-related issues. The first wave of legislation, signed on March 31, aims to address rising energy costs and improve grid reliability.

Among the measures signed was HB1191 (patroned by Irene Shin) and SB377 (patroned by Scott Surovell), which allows high-energy-use customers to invest directly in new energy infrastructure while protecting other ratepayers from increased costs. The legislation passed unanimously and is intended to ensure that major energy users help pay for the grid upgrades they require.

The Governor also signed HB369 from David Reid, which encourages investment in emerging energy technologies such as advanced nuclear and fusion. The bill received bipartisan support and mirrors SB598, patroned by Creigh Deeds, which will also be signed once formally communicated.

Additional legislation focuses on protecting consumers from volatile energy markets. SB505 (Deeds), identical to HB1256 from Shin, directs regulators to evaluate how to shield ratepayers from excessive electricity costs driven by fuel price spikes.

Several bills also target grid reliability and infrastructure development. HB562 (Reid), identical to SB487 from Jeremy McPike, encourages electric cooperatives to invest in reliability improvements and help ease demand on the grid. Meanwhile, HB889 (Shin) and SB497 from Russet Perry streamline permitting for high-voltage transmission lines in existing utility and highway corridors. Finally, HB1225 (Shin) and SB407 from Jennifer Boysko support the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure to expand access and reliability.

Governor Spanberger has until April 13 to take action on the remaining legislation passed during the General Assembly session. Any bills that are not vetoed and do not receive further action by that deadline will automatically become law on April 14.

What We’re Thinking

Taking Pressure Off Rural Virginia With Solar

In many rural communities, the feeling of pressure to support and approve solar projects is felt more and more as energy demand and unfettered growth in high energy hubs grows. Questions from rural localities include, “why is it always us having to permit these projects? Isn’t there any space in your area?” Most times there isn’t enough open space to handle utility scale, or even small scale projects. But rooftop and balcony could be the answer for high density and or unruly land areas. A recent report came out of our territory in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, how the mountainous and high density island is making the most out of its limited solar capabilities. 

For comparison, Puerto Rico is the same size as Virginia’s 4 largest counties (Pittsylvania, Halifax, Augusta, and Bedford) in square miles, and rooftop solar alone generates 20% of the island’s total energy capacity. Now, we aren’t saying that those 4 Virginia counties should foot the capacity bill for energy generation, but it is a great case study on making the most out of what you have around you. Urban areas have more concrete and rooftops than they know what to do with. And with the expansion and creation of rooftop and balcony solar legislation here in Virginia, this could really change the energy dynamics. 

This shift in attitudes and policy can help alleviate the pressures of rural Virginia, and allow urban areas to pull their weight where they can. A Walmart rooftop isn’t producing 100MW of solar energy, but when buildings of that size decide to move in the clean energy direction, it adds up quickly. 

Where We Went

FROM THE ROAD

This past week, Energy Right joined Gloucester County’s 40th Annual Daffodil Festival, engaging with residents to share information and answer questions about upcoming local energy projects

WHAT NEXT?

What We Read

Dimension Energy has secured $650 million in financing to support 25 community solar projects totaling 132 MW across four states, marking the company’s largest funding package to date. The deal includes a mix of debt and tax equity from both existing and new partners, reflecting continued investor interest in distributed clean energy.

The projects are expected to expand access to locally generated power and deliver utility bill savings to subscribers, particularly in states with established community solar programs. The investment highlights ongoing growth in the sector, even as policy uncertainty in markets like Pennsylvania continues to shape development timelines.

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