Virginia legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Virginia HB2: An Act to reduce heating-related costs of living for low-income residents by requiring certain electric utilities to provide energy efficiency upgrades; report.
Status: Chaptered, April 22, 2026
Phase I and Phase II Utilities; energy efficiency upgrades; low-income residents; report. States that it is the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. The bill requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures, as defined in the bill, and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households, as defined in the bill, identified by such utilities, provided that the State Corporation Commission determines that such measures and improvements are in the public interest. The bill requires such utilities to report to the Commission its activities, plans, and filings regarding the bill's provisions no later than January 1, 2028, annually thereafter, and in any recurring filing that the Commission deems appropriate. The bill also requires that Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power make reasonable efforts to incorporate recommendations or feedback provided by the task force that evaluates barriers to access and enrollment in programs for income-qualified energy customers. This bill is identical to SB 72.
What the bill says
An Act to reduce heating-related costs of living for low-income residents by requiring certain electric utilities to provide energy efficiency upgrades; report. [H 2] Approved April 22, 2026 1. § 1. It shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. In furtherance of this policy, and in addition to other policies and programs to improve energy efficiency and lower costs of living for residents of the Commonwealth, Phase I and Phase II Utilities shall make best, reasonable efforts to provide by De.
From the enrolled text, April 22, 2026:
An Act to reduce heating-related costs of living for low-income residents by requiring certain electric utilities to provide energy efficiency upgrades; report. [H 2] Approved April 22, 2026 1. § 1. It shall be the policy of the Commonwealth to reduce, wherever feasible and cost-effective, heating-related costs of living for low-income residents. In furtherance of this policy, and in addition to other policies and programs to improve energy efficiency and lower costs of living for residents of the Commonwealth, Phase I and Phase II Utilities shall make best, reasonable efforts to provide by December 31, 2031, prescriptive efficiency measures and related efficiency improvements to at least 30 percent of the qualifying households identified by the Phase I or Phase II Utility, or in the case of a Phase I Utility to 2,000 qualifying households, whichever is less, or in the case of a Phase II Utility to 8,400 qualifying households, whichever is less, provided that such measures and improvements are determined by the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) to be in the public interest. § 2. Each Phase I and Phase II Utility shall incorporate prescriptive efficiency measures in its next applicable income-qualified and age-qualified energy efficiency program filing with the Commission and implement such prescriptive efficiency measures for qualifying households that are reasonably expected to (i) lower each household's …