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SB448Introduced in the Senate

Electric utilities; energy storage requirements, Department of Energy to develop model ordinance.

Passed

Introduced by Lamont Bagby, District 14

What does this bill do?

Plain-English breakdown

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Official description

Electric utilities; energy storage resources; Department of Energy to develop model ordinances; State Corporation Commission to conduct technology demonstration program. Increases the targets for energy storage capacity that Appalachian Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are required to petition the State Corporation Commission (the Commission) for approval to construct, acquire, or procure and extends the time frame by which such capacity must be met. Under the bill, (i) Appalachian Power shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 780 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2040 and 520 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and (ii) Dominion Energy Virginia shall petition the Commission for approval to construct, acquire, or procure at least 16,000 megawatts of short-duration energy storage capacity by 2045 and 4,000 megawatts of long-duration energy storage capacity by 2045. "Long-duration energy storage" and "short-duration energy storage" are defined in the bill. Under the bill, the Commission shall approve an independent auditor to help develop criteria for and to help review requests for proposals for new energy storage resources. The bill requires the Commission to conduct a technology demonstration program for long-duration energy storage resources and initiate a proceeding to determine if such technology is viable and that the targets in the bill are reasonably achievable, for which a final order shall be entered no later than March 1, 2031. Certain provisions of the bill are only effective upon such determination by the Commission. The bill requires the Department of Energy, in consultation with the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fire Programs, to develop model ordinances suggested for use by localities in their regulation of energy storage projects by December 1, 2026. The bill directs the Commission to initiate a technical conference by September 1, 2026, to evaluate safety standards and practices for energy storage development. The bill also includes a provision authorizing the Commission to evaluate energy storage project proposals during annual petitions filed for the development of new renewable generation capacity. This bill is identical to HB 895.

Where it stands

Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0695)

April 13, 2026

How did lawmakers vote?

House of Delegates votes

4 recorded votes · each counted separately

Senate votes

5 recorded votes · each counted separately

SenateStage: House substitute agreed to by Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · March 12, 2026

21

Yes

19

No

0

Absent or Not Voting

40 senators recorded in this Senate vote. Colors show vote categories only, not whether a vote was good or bad.

See how each senator voted

SenatorDistrictVote
Elizabeth Bennett-Parker5Yes
Michael Jones77Yes
Timmy French1No
Mark Obenshain2No
Chris Head3No
David Suetterlein4No
Travis Hackworth5No
Todd Pillion6No
William Stanley7No
Mark Peake8No

Bill history

  1. Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105446D

  2. Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

  3. Senate committee offered

  4. Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (9-Y 6-N)

  5. Committee substitute printed 26107447D-S1

  6. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB448)

  7. Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (12-Y 3-N)

  8. Rules suspended

  9. Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)

  10. Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  11. Committee substitute printed 26107847D-S2

  12. Read second time

  13. Committee substitute rejected (Voice Vote)

  14. Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote)

  15. Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote)

  16. Read third time and passed Senate (22-Y 17-N 0-A)

  17. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB448)

  18. Placed on Calendar

  19. Read first time

  20. Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce

  21. Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3

  22. House subcommittee offered

  23. Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (8-Y 1-N)

  24. Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (15-Y 6-N)

  25. Committee substitute printed 26109068D-H1

  26. Read second time

  27. Passed by for the day

  28. Floor offered Delegate Wilt Amendment

  29. Read third time

  30. committee substitute agreed to

  31. Delegate Wilt Floor amendment passed by (64-Y 35-N 0-A)

  32. Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  33. Passed House with substitute (66-Y 33-N 0-A)

  34. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB448)

  35. House substitute agreed to by Senate (21-Y 19-N 0-A)

  36. Enrolled

  37. Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB448ER)

  38. Signed by President

  39. Signed by Speaker

  40. Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  41. Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  42. Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB448)

  43. Approved by Governor-Chapter 695 (Effective - see bill)

  44. Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0695)

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