As of this writing, the 2020 General Assembly is completing a jampacked, slightly-extended session. The Chapter took positions on an unprecedented 180 bills this year! Thanks to the new majorities in both chambers and tremendous grassroots support, we achieved passage of more than a third of the bills, including all three of our top priorities:
The Virginia Clean Economy Act, patroned by Sen. McClellan (SB851) and Del. Sullivan (HB1526), establishes Virginia’s first mandatory Energy Efficiency Resource Standard and its first mandatory Renewable Portfolio Standard. It expands utility and distributed solar, establishes major wind and battery storage goals and extends RGGI-esque carbon reductions through 2050, when the electric sector must be at zero emissions.
The “Solar Freedom” bill was patroned by McClellan (SB710) and Del. Keam (HB572), with other versions carried by Del. Lopez (HB1184) and Del. Jones (HB1647). It eliminates or eases numerous restrictions on distributed, net-metered solar for individuals, businesses and municipalities. This includes, among other provisions, an increase to the net-metering cap from 1% to 6%, a huge increase in Dominion’s power purchase agreement cap to 1000 MW and an end to stand-by charges for systems below 15 kW.
Full participation in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative was patroned by Sen. Lewis (SB1027) and Del. Herring (HB981), with revenue from the sale of carbon allowances going to low-income energy efficiency programs and coastal adaptation/mitigation.
In addition, dozens of other bills we supported passed, including a fracking ban (SB106/Surovell); environmental justice measures (HB1042/Herring, SB406/Hashmi, HB704/Keam, SB883/Locke); nonpartisan redistricting (SJ18/Barker, HB758/VanValkenburg, SB203/Lucas); a renewable-energy-focused revision of the Commonwealth Energy Policy/Virginia Energy Plan (SB94/Favola, HB714/Reid); an offshore drilling ban (HB706/Keam, SB795/Lewis); the establishment of wildlife corridors (HB1695/Bulova, SB1004/Marsden); an electric vehicle rebate study (HB717/Reid); improvements to litter taxes/fees (HB502/Krizek, HB1154/Lopez); the Equal Rights Amendment (HJ1/ Carroll-Foy, SJ1/McClellan); and many others.
Significantly, no bill that we opposed passed, and therefore we contemplate no veto requests of the governor. This, too, is unprecedented.
Overall, while we still have many items on our to-do list for next year (improvements to some VCEA provisions and a major focus on transportation electrification, to name but two), we are very pleased with the results of this session. The incredible grassroots power unleashed in the 2017 and 2019 elections, along with intense involvement by supporters during session, has made a huge, hopefully lasting, impact on our ability to move Virginia toward a cleaner, healthier future.
Bob Shippee is the legislative chair and political vice chair of the Virginia Chapter.