HB921 Expands Electric Utility Supplier Options for Large Nonresidential Customers
Summary
Virginia HB921, signed by the Governor on April 13, 2026, and effective July 1, 2026, expands the pool of nonresidential customers eligible to purchase electricity from licensed retail suppliers. The bill raises the peak demand threshold from one percent of an incumbent utility's peak load to over five megawatts, allowing more customers of Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia to shop for alternative suppliers. Additionally, the bill shortens the advance notice period required for such customers to return to service with their incumbent utility from five years to eighteen months.
What changed
HB921 amends Virginia's electric utility regulations by raising the eligibility threshold for nonresidential customers to purchase from licensed retail suppliers. Under prior law, customers could only switch suppliers if their peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent utility's peak load, unless they had a noncoincident peak demand exceeding 90 megawatts. The new law eliminates the percentage-based test and instead permits any nonresidential customer of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia with a noncoincident peak demand exceeding five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase from licensed suppliers. The bill also reduces the advance notice period required for such customers to return to service with their incumbent utility from five years to eighteen months.
Affected parties include large nonresidential electricity consumers in Virginia who previously could not access alternative suppliers due to the one-percent threshold, licensed retail suppliers who will serve a broader market, and incumbent utilities Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia that must adjust their return-to-service procedures. The reduction in the notice period for returning to service increases customer flexibility but also requires utilities to manage capacity planning on a shorter timeline.
What to do next
- Large nonresidential customers with peak demand exceeding 5 MW should evaluate options for purchasing from licensed retail suppliers
- Utilities should update customer return-to-service notice procedures to reflect the 18-month notice period
- Licensed retail suppliers should prepare for expanded customer eligibility
Archived snapshot
Apr 14, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
ChangeBridge / Virginia / HB921 Signed by Governor HB921 House Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-13
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers, renewable portfolio standard requirements.
Electric utilities; licensed retail suppliers; notice period for return to service. Permits an individual nonresidential retail customer of electric energy of Appalachian Power or Dominion Energy Virginia whose noncoincident peak demand exceeded five megawatts during the most recent calendar year to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier within the Commonwealth. Currently, such a customer may only purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier if the customer's peak demand did not exceed one percent of the incumbent electric utility's peak load during the most recent calendar year unless the customer had a noncoincident peak demand of more than 90 megawatts. The bill changes from five years to eighteen months the advance notice period required for such a customer to return to service by an incumbent electric utility.
Bill Details
State Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Regular Session
Chamber House
Official Source lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/HB921
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Sponsors
Alfonso Lopez (Rep - D) Barbara Favola (Sen - D)
Action History
2026-04-13 Approved by Governor-Chapter 707 (effective 7/1/2026) 2026-03-10 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 2026-03-10 H Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 2026-03-09 H Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB921) 2026-03-03 S Signed by President 2026-03-03 H Signed by Speaker 2026-03-03 H Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB921ER) 2026-03-03 H Enrolled 2026-02-26 S Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-26 S Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-26 S Passed Senate (36-Y 4-N 0-A) 2026-02-26 S Read third time 2026-02-25 S Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) 2026-02-25 S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-25 S Rules suspended 2026-02-23 S Reported from Commerce and Labor (13-Y 1-N) 2026-02-16 H Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB921) 2026-02-12 S Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor 2026-02-12 S Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) 2026-02-11 H Passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-11 H Reconsideration of passage agreed to by House 2026-02-11 H Read third time and passed House (96-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-10 H Engrossed by House - committee substitute 2026-02-10 H committee substitute agreed to 2026-02-10 H Read second time 2026-02-09 H Read first time 2026-02-06 H Committee substitute printed 26107047D-H1 2026-02-05 H Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (22-Y 0-N) 2026-02-03 H Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 0-N) 2026-02-03 H House subcommittee offered 2026-01-25 H Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB921) 2026-01-22 H Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 2026-01-13 H Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce 2026-01-13 H Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104026D
Votes
2026-02-03 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 0-N) Yea: 9 Nay: 0 2026-02-05 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (22-Y 0-N) Yea: 22 Nay: 0 2026-02-11 Read third time and passed House (96-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 96 Nay: 0 2026-02-11 Passed House (98-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 98 Nay: 0 2026-02-23 Reported from Commerce and Labor (13-Y 1-N) Yea: 13 Nay: 1 2026-02-25 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-02-26 Passed Senate (36-Y 4-N 0-A) Yea: 36 Nay: 4 2026-02-26 Reconsideration of Senate passage agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-02-26 Passed Senate (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0
Committee Referrals
2026-01-13 H Labor and Commerce 2026-01-22 H Labor and Commerce: Subcommittee #3 2026-02-12 S Commerce and Labor
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-13 Introduced 2026-02-03 Comm Sub 2026-02-04 Comm Sub 2026-02-06 Comm Sub 2026-03-03 Enrolled Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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