VCN Legislative Positions: Energy Legislation , Land Conservation Legislation, Water Legislation , Wildlife Legislation , Citizen Legislation , Additional Bills
Energy Legislation
URANIUM BILLS:
OPPOSE HB1804 [Companion SB919] State severance tax; uranium. (Patron: Miller; Committee: Finance)
State severance tax; uranium. Establishes a three percent state severance tax on the gross receipts of any uranium severed from the earth in the Commonwealth. One-half of the proceeds of the tax shall be deposited in the general fund of the Commonwealth. The other half of the proceeds shall be distributed to the locality from which the uranium was severed.Oppose HB2330 [CompanionSB1353] Uranium mining; penalties. (Patron: Miller; Committee: Commerce and Labor)
Establishes a process for the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) to issue permits for the mining of uranium ore.Oppose SB1353 [Companion HB2330] Uranium mining; penalties. (Patron: Watkins; Committee: Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources)
Establishes a process for the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) to issue permits for the mining of uranium ore.OPPOSE SB919 [Companion HB1804] Uranium; establishes 3 percent state severance tax on receipts of any severed from earth in State. (Patron: Watkins; Committee: Finance)
State severance tax; uranium. Establishes a three percent state severance tax on the gross receipts of any uranium severed from the earth in the Commonwealth. One-half of the proceeds of the tax shall be deposited in the general fund of the Commonwealth. The other half of the proceeds shall be deposited into an Economic Development and Environmental Trust Fund established for each locality from which uranium is mined. Each locality's fund would be administered by a board appointed by the governing body of the locality.Uranium Talking points and Supporting Materials
ENERGY BILLS
OPPOSE SB797 Electric utilities; advanced meters. (Patron: Garrett; Committee: Commerce and Labor)
Prohibits any electric utility from installing an advanced meter on a customer's premises or requiring a customer to use any advanced meter unless the customer has requested it. An advanced meter is a meter that is capable of measuring, recording, storing, and reporting usage according to predetermined time criteria and that allows two-way communications suited for demand-response programs. Electric utilities are also required to uninstall an advanced meter at a customer's request; prohibited from giving any meter use data from an advanced meter to any person other than the electric utility.SUPPORT SB956 Electric utility rate schedules; declining block rates. (Patron: Favola; Committee: Commerce and Labor
Prohibits the State Corporation Commission from approving declining block rates for residential customers in any proceeding in which it is required to review the rates and tariffs of an investor-owned electric utility or electric cooperative. The prohibition does not apply if the electric utility demonstrates that such a rate structure is equitable to all affected customers and consistent with the Commonwealth's energy efficiency goals. Under declining block rates, the per-unit price of electricity decreases as the amount of electricity consumed increases.SUPPORT SB1259 [Companion HB2180] Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program, eligible energy. (Patron: Edwards ; Committee: Commerce and Labor)
Renewable energy portfolio standard program; eligible energy. Requires that, in order to be counted toward meeting the RPS Goals of the renewable energy portfolio standard program, renewable energy that is purchased by a participating utility be acquired under an agreement that transfers both ownership of the energy generated and the ownership of its renewable attributes. The measure also continues to allow renewable energy generated by a Virginia public utility to be counted toward meeting the RPS Goals when it is from a facility in which the public utility owns at least a 49 percent interest, but adds the condition that the facility be located in the Commonwealth, in the interconnection region of the regional transmission entity of which the participating utility is a member, or in a control area adjacent to such interconnection region. Renewable energy represented by renewable energy certificates will continue to be eligible to be counted toward meeting the RPS Goals.SUPPORT SB1269 [Companion HB1946] Renewable energy portfolio standard program. (Patron: McEachin; Committee: Commerce and Labor)
Renewable energy portfolio standard program. Amends the existing renewable energy portfolio standard program to require that for calendar years 2016 through 2025 a utility shall apply (i) only renewable energy generated or purchased in Virginia, off its coast, or represented by a renewable energy certificate from eligible sources in Virginia or off its coast and (ii) renewable energy sales or renewable energy certificates from electric energy derived from any combination of sunlight, onshore wind, offshore wind, wave motion, tides, or geothermal power to meet at least 40 percent of the sales requirement for the RPS Goal in that year. The measure also eliminates provisions that give double or triple credit toward meeting the RPS Goals for energy from specified sources of energy. [Talking points]Oppose SB1341 Renewable energy facilities, certain; exemption from local zoning and land use regulations. (Patron: Saslaw; Committee: Local Government)
Renewable energy facilities; exemption from land use regulations. Exempts certain electrical generation facilities powered by renewable sources of energy from local zoning and land use requirements. The exemption applies to a facility that is owned by an electric utility, has a capacity of at least four megawatts, is on a parcel of at least 25 acres, and has received all required approvals and permits from the State Corporation Commission and environmental regulators.Support SJ331 Study; mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard program; report. (Patron: Northam; Committee: Rules)
Study; mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard program; report. Directs the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation to study the establishment of a mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard program for the Commonwealth. The study will (i) address issues associated with transitioning from the existing voluntary renewable energy portfolio standard program to a mandatory program, (ii) determine the costs and benefits that would be associated with requiring electric utilities to meet varying levels of renewable energy portfolio standard goals, (iii) recommend measures to address electric utilities that do not meet the program's goals, and (iv) determine if it is feasible and advisable to require that all electric utilities in Virginia participate in a mandatory renewable energy portfolio standard program.Support HB1943 Electrical utility facilities; consideration of stability of fuel prices. (Patron: Lopez; Committee: Commerce and Labor)
Electrical utility facilities; consideration of stability of fuel prices. Requires the State Corporation Commission, when required to approve the construction of any electrical utility facility, to consider the long-term price stability of any fuels used in the generation of energy from the facility.SUPPORT HB1946 [Companion SB1269] Renewable energy; amends existing portfolio standard program. (Patron: Lopez; Committee: Commerce and Labor Sub-Committee Energy)
Renewable energy portfolio standard program. Amends the existing renewable energy portfolio standard program to require that for calendar years 2016 through 2025 a utility shall apply (i) only renewable energy generated or purchased in Virginia, off its coast, or represented by a renewable energy certificate from eligible sources in Virginia or off its coast and (ii) renewable energy sales or renewable energy certificates from electric energy derived from any combination of sunlight, onshore wind, offshore wind, wave motion, tides, or geothermal power to meet at least 40 percent of the sales requirement for the RPS Goal in that year. The measure also eliminates provisions that give double or triple credit toward meeting the RPS Goals for energy from specified sources of energy. [Talking points]SUPPORT HB2180 [Companion SB1259] Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program, eligible energy. (Patron: Rust; Committee: Commerce and Labor Sub-Committee Energy)
Renewable energy portfolio standard program; eligible energy. Requires that, in order to be counted toward meeting the RPS Goals of the renewable energy portfolio standard program, renewable energy that is purchased by a participating utility be acquired under an agreement that transfers both ownership of the energy generated and the ownership of its renewable attributes. The measure also continues to allow renewable energy generated by a Virginia public utility to be counted toward meeting the RPS Goals when it is from a facility in which the public utility owns at least a 49 percent interest, but adds the condition that the facility be located in the Commonwealth, in the interconnection region of the regional transmission entity of which the participating utility is a member, or in a control area adjacent to such interconnection region. Renewable energy represented by renewable energy certificates will continue to be eligible to be counted toward meeting the RPS Goals.Commenting on Legislation
http://www.vcnva.org/index.php/get-involved/learn-how-to-make-a-difference-in-virginia/understanding-government-who-s-there-5/learn-about-conservation-priorities/vcn-legislative-positions
