Skip to main content
CivicGate

HB 429 VA
Became Law

Electric utilities; definitions, integrated resource plans, report.

VA · session 2026 · Assembly / House · bill

A state bill is a proposed law in a state legislature — separate from the U.S. Congress. Learn more →

Introduced Jan 12, 2026

Latest action (Apr 13, 2026) Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0607)

Summary

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 SB 249.

Sponsor (1)

Action history (47)

  1. Jan 12, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103036D · lower
  2. Jan 12, 2026 Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce · lower
  3. Jan 19, 2026 Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 · lower
  4. Feb 2, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
  5. Feb 3, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
  6. Feb 3, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 0-N) · lower
  7. Feb 5, 2026 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (17-Y 5-N) · lower
  8. Feb 6, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107083D-H1 · lower
  9. Feb 9, 2026 Read first time · lower
  10. Feb 10, 2026 Read second time · lower
  11. Feb 10, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
  12. Feb 10, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
  13. Feb 11, 2026 Read third time and passed House (84-Y 13-N 0-A) · lower
  14. Feb 12, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
  15. Feb 12, 2026 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor · upper
  16. Feb 16, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
  17. Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N) · upper
  18. Mar 3, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108331D-S1 · upper
  19. Mar 5, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
  20. Mar 6, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N) · upper
  21. Mar 9, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
  22. Mar 9, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
  23. Mar 9, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
  24. Mar 10, 2026 Read third time · upper
  25. Mar 10, 2026 Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to · upper
  26. Mar 10, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
  27. Mar 10, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
  28. Mar 11, 2026 Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 99-N 0-A) · lower
  29. Mar 12, 2026 Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
  30. Mar 12, 2026 Senate requested conference committee · upper
  31. Mar 12, 2026 House acceded to request · lower
  32. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
  33. Mar 12, 2026 House Conferees: LeVere Bolling, Shin, O'Quinn · lower
  34. Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
  35. Mar 12, 2026 Senate Conferees: Surovell, Rouse, Obenshain · upper
  36. Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
  37. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (72-Y 24-N 0-A) · lower
  38. Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · upper
  39. Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · lower
  40. Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB429ER) · lower
  41. Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
  42. Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
  43. Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · lower
  44. Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
  45. Apr 6, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
  46. Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 607 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
  47. Apr 13, 2026 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0607) · executive

Text versions (17)

The published texts of this bill as it moves through the legislature. Each links to the official document on the state legislature site. Data from OpenStates.

  • Chaptered · PDF
  • Chaptered · HTML
  • Enrolled · PDF
  • Enrolled · HTML
  • Conference Report · HTML
  • Conference Report Substitute · PDF
  • Conference Report Substitute · HTML
  • Commerce and Labor Substitute · PDF
  • Commerce and Labor Substitute · HTML
  • Labor and Commerce Substitute · PDF
  • Labor and Commerce Substitute · HTML
  • Labor and Commerce Substitute · PDF
  • Labor and Commerce Substitute · HTML
  • Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute · PDF
  • Subcommittee #3 Subcommittee Substitute · HTML
  • Introduced · PDF
  • Introduced · HTML

Full text

The full text hasn’t been imported yet. CivicGate fetches it from the state legislature’s published version documents — check now.

Comments

Comments

Loading comments…

Data from OpenStates. View on OpenStates →