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State Planning and Incentive Structures | Energy Efficiency Actions | Energy Supply Actions

State Planning and Incentive Structures

Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency in Public Facilities

Status: Completed

Details: Virginia Governor Tim Kaine on July 16, 2008, directed all state agencies to consider ways to improve and expand teleworking and alternative schedules to avoid rising fuel prices and ease traffic congestion.
Executive Order 48-Energy Efficiency in State Government-signed by Governor Warner on April 5, 2007, requires state agencies to reduce the annual cost of non-renewable energy purchases by at least 20% of fiscal year 2006 expenditures by fiscal year 2010. The executive order specifies that these reductions should be accomplished through lighting efficiency, LEED renovations, energy savings performance contracts, and the purchase of renewables. All agencies and institutions constructing state-owned facilities over 5,000 gross square feet must meet LEED or ENERGY STAR standards; preference for leased space should go to LEED/ENERGY STAR buildings. The Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy shall be responsible for providing technical assistance to state agencies and institutions in achieving energy savings.

Lead By Example—Energy Efficient Appliance and Equipment Purchase Requirements for Public Facilities

Status: Completed

Details: Executive Order 48-Energy Efficiency in State Government-signed by Governor Warner on April 5, 2007, requires Virginia agencies and institutions to purchase or lease ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and equipment for all classifications for which an ENERGY STAR designation is available. The Virginia Energy Plan (2001) calls for state government to reduce energy through conservation measures such as the purchase of ENERGY STAR products.

Lead By Example—Clean Energy Goals for Public Facilities

Status: Completed (with caveat)

Details: Executive Order 48-Energy Efficiency in State Government-signed by Governor Warner on April 5, 2007, directs the Senior Advisor for Energy Policy to periodically assess the cost effectiveness of incorporating a photovoltaic power system or a green roof in any roof renovation for buildings over 5,000 gross square feet in size based on 15-year payback. If the Senior Advisor for Energy Policy finds that the projected energy savings over a 15-year period can pay for the additional cost of installing a photovoltaic or green roof system, then the Department of General Services shall require that any roof replacement design address that option.

Lead By Example—Energy Efficiency and Alternative Fuel Goals for Public Fleets

Status: Completed

Details: Executive Order 48-Energy Efficiency in State Government-signed by Governor Warner on April 5, 2007, directs the Virginia General Services Administration to develop policies and procedures for leasing vehicle requirements that give a preference to compact, fuel-efficient, and low-emission vehicles. Executive Order 48 also directs all agencies to maximize biodiesel and ethanol use in state fleet vehicles.

State and Regional Energy Planning

Status: Completed

Details: On September 12, 2007, Governor Timothy Kaine released the Virginia Energy Plan. The Plan establishes four goals: (1) increase Virginia's energy independence by decreasing the growth of energy use by 40% by 2017; (2) expand consumer education on energy efficiency and conservation; (3) reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2025; and (4) capitalize on economic development opportunities in four strategic areas - nuclear technologies, alternate transportation fuels, coastal energy production, and carbon capture and storage.

Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (NOX Budget Trading Program)

Status: Completed

Details: Virginia's set-aside program accounts for 5% of its NOx Trading Program budget. 5% is set-aside for the first 5 years, and 2% thereafter. The initial allocation period is 5 years. An auction was held on June 24, 2006.

Determining the Air Quality Benefits of Clean Energy—Energy Efficiency/Renewable Energy Set Asides (CAIR Budget Trading Program)

Status: Completed

Details: VA has established a new unit set-aside that consists of 4% of the total Commonwealth budget from 2009 through 2013 and 1% from 2014 and after. It has also established an annual, voluntary public health set-aside that will be retired, and a one percent energy efficiency/ renewable energy set-aside for each control period.

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Energy Efficiency Actions

Energy Efficiency Portfolio Standards

Status: Proposed

Details: H3068, adopted on April 11, 2007, sets a goal of reducing retail electric energy consumption by 10% from 2006 by 2022. The State Corporation Commission is instructed to determine whether the 10% goal can be achieved cost-effectively, and if not, to determine the appropriate goal for the year 2022 relative to base year of 2006. The Commission must also identify the mix of programs--such as demand side management, conservation, energy efficiency, load management, real-time pricing, and consumer education--that should be implemented to achieve the goal.

Public Benefit Funds for Energy Efficiency

Status: No Activity Identified

Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Commercial Programs

Status: Goes Beyond ECPA

Details: 2003 IECC with reference to ASHRAE 90.1-2004, mandatory statewide; can use COMcheck to show compliance.

Building Codes for Energy Efficiency—Residential Programs

Status: Goes Beyond ECPA

Details: 2003 IECC; effective November 1, 2005. REScheck to show compliance.

State Appliance Efficiency Standards

Status: No Activity Identified

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Energy Supply Actions

Renewable Portfolio Standards

Status: Completed (with caveat)

Details: As part of legislation to re-regulate the state's electricity industry, Virginia enacted a voluntary renewable energy portfolio goal on April 11, 2007, with SB 1416. The legislation calls for production of 12% of the state's electricity from renewables by 2022.

Public Benefit Funds for Clean Energy Supply

Status: No Activity Identified

Output-Based Environmental Regulations

Status: No Activity Identified

Interconnection Standards—Clean Distributed Generation

Status: In Progress

Details: Not considered completed because current rules only apply to net metering. In May 2000, the Virginia Corporation Commission (VCC) issued an order establishing interconnection requirements for net metering customers with residential generators less than 10 kW or nonresidential generators less than 500 kW that use solar, wind, or hydro energy. These standards were enacted with Va. Code § 56-578 and then later with 20 VAC 5-315-40. On August 8, 2006, the VCC (Case #PUE-2006-00064) rejected using federal (EPAct 2005) interconnection rules, and said it will (continue to) develop its own statewide standards. The VCC is working on developing interconnection standards for distributed generation that is not net metered.

Interconnection Standards—Net Metering

Status: Completed

Details: As required by the 2007 Virginia Electric Utility Restructuring Act, the Virginia Corporation Commission (VCC) issued a final net metering order in Docket PUE-2008-00008 on August 7, 2008. The law requires that the total aggregate net metering capacity for each utility to be increased from 0.1 percent to 1.0 percent of its prior year peak load. The law also specifies that the VCC will determine the amount of the net metering payment, unless the utility and the distributed generation owner agree to a higher rate.
SB 1416 (2006) raised the aggregate limit on net metered capacity from 0.1% to 1% in April 2007. On March 31, 2006, the governor signed HB 1541, which extended net metering eligibility to all systems that generate electricity using "energy derived from sunlight, wind, falling water, sustainable biomass, energy from waste, wave motion, tides, and geothermal power." The net metering law applies to residential systems up to 10kW or non-residential up to 500kW. The law specifies a first-come first-served basis up to 0.1% of each utility's peak load for the previous year, and applied to residential systems up to 10 kW and nonresidential systems up to 500 kW. Capacity limits were raised in 2004. These rules allowed solar, wind, and hydro technologies.

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