Virginia SB249 - Electric Utility Integrated Resource Plan Changes
Summary
Virginia SB249 was signed by the Governor on April 13, 2026, making various changes to integrated resource plan (IRP) requirements for electric utilities. The bill extends the planning timeframe from 15 to 20 years, requires Appalachian Power to file IRPs, changes filing frequency from biennial to triennial, and mandates consideration of grid-enhancing technologies and surplus interconnection service. A third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission must facilitate the stakeholder review process.
What changed
Virginia SB249 substantially modifies integrated resource plan requirements for electric utilities. Key changes include extending the planning horizon from 15 to 20 years, requiring Appalachian Power to file IRPs (previously excepted), and changing the filing frequency from biennial to triennial. The bill mandates that utilities consider grid-enhancing technologies as alternatives to new transmission infrastructure and evaluate surplus interconnection service for new generation and storage projects. The stakeholder review process must now be facilitated by a third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission and compensated by the utility, with stakeholders granted access to modeling software and assumptions used by the utility.\n\nElectric utilities operating in Virginia must restructure their IRP development processes to align with these new requirements. Utilities should update their planning systems to accommodate the 20-year horizon and prepare for the new triennial filing schedule. The third-party facilitation requirement and mandatory stakeholder access to modeling tools represent significant changes to the collaborative planning process. Utilities should monitor State Corporation Commission proceedings as the agency develops implementing guidelines and conducts its five-year review cycle.
What to do next
- Review and update IRP development processes to comply with new 20-year planning timeframe
- Prepare for triennial IRP filing cycle instead of biennial
- Consider grid-enhancing technologies and surplus interconnection service in planning
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 / SB249 Signed by Governor SB249 Senate Bill Signed by Governor 2026-04-13
Electric utilities; definitions, integrated resource plans, report.
Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. Makes various changes related to the content and process for an integrated resource plan (IRP) developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations. The bill (i) extends the planning timeframe from 15 to 20 years; (ii) requires Appalachian Power to file an IRP by removing an exception from the definition of "electric utility"; (iii) changes the frequency with which a utility is required to file an IRP from biennially to triennially; (iv) requires utilities to consider the use of grid-enhancing technologies as alternatives to new transmission infrastructure, and when new transmission lines are envisioned, to provide the reasons grid-enhancing technologies are not sufficient to defer or eliminate the need for new transmission infrastructure; and (v) requires utilities to consider the use of surplus interconnection service, as defined in the bill, to add new electric generation projects and energy storage resources to the grid.The bill requires that the current stakeholder review process for integrated resource plans be facilitated by a third-party facilitator selected by the State Corporation Commission and compensated by the utility. The bill requires, as part of the stakeholder review process, the utility to provide stakeholders with reasonable access to the same modeling software, modeling assumptions, modeling inputs, and data used by the utility to evaluate supply and demand resources in its integrated resource plan to enable stakeholders to create modeling scenarios for the utility's consideration during the development of its integrated resource plan.The bill requires the State Corporation Commission to (a) establish guidelines that ensure that utilities develop comprehensive integrated resource plans and provide meaningful public engagement and maximum transparency during the planning process; (b) conduct a proceeding by July 1, 2027, and at least once every five years thereafter, to identify and review each of its existing orders relevant to integrated resource plans to determine if such orders remain necessary and effective and are not overly burdensome; and (c) convene a work group to make recommendations on the required guidelines.As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 429.
Bill Details
State Virginia
Session 2026 Regular Regular Session
Chamber Senate
Official Source lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB249
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Sponsors
Scott Surovell (Sen - D)
Action History
2026-04-13 Approved by Governor-Chapter 608 (effective 7/1/2026) 2026-04-06 S Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB249) 2026-03-31 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 2026-03-31 S Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 2026-03-31 H Signed by Speaker 2026-03-30 S Signed by President 2026-03-30 S Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB249ER) 2026-03-30 S Enrolled 2026-03-24 S Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB249) 2026-03-14 S Conference report agreed to by Senate (20-Y 18-N 0-A) 2026-03-14 H Conference report agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) 2026-03-14 Conference Report released 2026-03-12 S Senate acceded to request 2026-03-12 S Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB249) 2026-03-12 H House Conferees: LeVere Bolling, Shin, O'Quinn 2026-03-12 H Conferees appointed by House 2026-03-12 S Senate Conferees: Surovell, Bagby, Stanley 2026-03-12 S Conferees appointed by Senate 2026-03-12 S Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-03-12 H House requested conference committee 2026-03-12 H House insisted on substitute 2026-03-12 S House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A) 2026-03-11 H Passed House with substitute (66-Y 32-N 1-A) 2026-03-11 H Engrossed by House - committee substitute 2026-03-11 H committee substitute agreed to 2026-03-11 H Read third time 2026-03-10 H Passed by for the day 2026-03-09 H Read second time 2026-03-05 H Committee substitute printed 26109184D-H1 2026-03-05 H Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (19-Y 2-N) 2026-03-03 H Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 1-N) 2026-03-03 H House subcommittee offered 2026-02-26 H Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 2026-02-18 H Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce 2026-02-18 H Read first time 2026-02-18 H Placed on Calendar 2026-02-16 S Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB249) 2026-02-13 S Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) 2026-02-12 S Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) 2026-02-12 S Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) 2026-02-12 S Read second time 2026-02-11 S Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) 2026-02-11 S Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) 2026-02-11 S Rules suspended 2026-02-10 S Committee substitute printed 26107458D-S1 2026-02-09 S Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (9-Y 5-N) 2026-02-09 S Senate committee offered 2026-02-03 S Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (SB249) 2026-01-12 S Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor 2026-01-12 S Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104616D
Votes
2026-02-09 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute (9-Y 5-N) Yea: 9 Nay: 5 2026-02-11 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-02-13 Read third time and passed Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) Yea: 21 Nay: 18 2026-03-03 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 1-N) Yea: 8 Nay: 1 2026-03-05 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (19-Y 2-N) Yea: 19 Nay: 2 2026-03-11 Passed House with substitute (66-Y 32-N 1-A) Yea: 66 Nay: 32 2026-03-12 House substitute rejected by Senate (0-Y 40-N 0-A) Yea: 0 Nay: 40 2026-03-12 Senate acceded to request Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) Yea: 40 Nay: 0 2026-03-14 Conference report agreed to by House (63-Y 34-N 0-A) Yea: 63 Nay: 34 2026-03-14 Conference report agreed to by Senate (20-Y 18-N 0-A) Yea: 20 Nay: 18
Committee Referrals
2026-01-12 S Commerce and Labor 2026-02-18 H Labor and Commerce 2026-02-26 H Labor and Commerce: Subcommittee #3
Amendments
0000-00-00 Labor and Commerce Amendment
Bill Text Versions
2026-01-12 Introduced 2026-02-09 Comm Sub 2026-02-10 Comm Sub 2026-03-04 Comm Sub 2026-03-05 Comm Sub 2026-03-14 Comm Sub 2026-03-30 Enrolled Legislative data powered by LegiScan (CC BY 4.0)
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