HB 429 VA Became Law
Electric utilities; definitions, integrated resource plans, report.
A state bill is a proposed law in a state legislature — separate from the U.S. Congress. Learn more →
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)
- Destiny LeVere Bolling Democratic · primary
Action history (47)
- Jan 12, 2026 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26103036D · lower
- Jan 12, 2026 Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce · lower
- Jan 19, 2026 Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #3 · lower
- Feb 2, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
- Feb 3, 2026 House subcommittee offered · lower
- Feb 3, 2026 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (9-Y 0-N) · lower
- Feb 5, 2026 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute (17-Y 5-N) · lower
- Feb 6, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26107083D-H1 · lower
- Feb 9, 2026 Read first time · lower
- Feb 10, 2026 Read second time · lower
- Feb 10, 2026 committee substitute agreed to · lower
- Feb 10, 2026 Engrossed by House - committee substitute · lower
- Feb 11, 2026 Read third time and passed House (84-Y 13-N 0-A) · lower
- Feb 12, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) · upper
- Feb 12, 2026 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor · upper
- Feb 16, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
- Mar 2, 2026 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (8-Y 6-N) · upper
- Mar 3, 2026 Committee substitute printed 26108331D-S1 · upper
- Mar 5, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
- Mar 6, 2026 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 4-N) · upper
- Mar 9, 2026 Rules suspended · upper
- Mar 9, 2026 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
- Mar 9, 2026 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) · upper
- Mar 10, 2026 Read third time · upper
- Mar 10, 2026 Commerce and Labor Substitute agreed to · upper
- Mar 10, 2026 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute · upper
- Mar 10, 2026 Passed Senate with substitute (21-Y 19-N 0-A) · upper
- Mar 11, 2026 Senate substitute rejected by House (0-Y 99-N 0-A) · lower
- Mar 12, 2026 Senate insisted on substitute Block Vote (40-Y 0-N 0-A) · upper
- Mar 12, 2026 Senate requested conference committee · upper
- Mar 12, 2026 House acceded to request · lower
- Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by House · lower
- Mar 12, 2026 House Conferees: LeVere Bolling, Shin, O'Quinn · lower
- Mar 12, 2026 Conferees appointed by Senate · upper
- Mar 12, 2026 Senate Conferees: Surovell, Rouse, Obenshain · upper
- Mar 14, 2026 Conference Report released · legislature
- Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by House (72-Y 24-N 0-A) · lower
- Mar 14, 2026 Conference report agreed to by Senate (21-Y 18-N 0-A) · upper
- Mar 30, 2026 Enrolled · lower
- Mar 30, 2026 Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB429ER) · lower
- Mar 30, 2026 Signed by President · upper
- Mar 31, 2026 Signed by Speaker · lower
- Mar 31, 2026 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 · lower
- Mar 31, 2026 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 · executive
- Apr 6, 2026 Fiscal Impact Statement from State Corporation Commission (HB429) · lower
- Apr 13, 2026 Approved by Governor-Chapter 607 (effective 7/1/2026) · executive
- 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
Data from OpenStates. View on OpenStates →
Comments