Energy Efficiency Resource Goal

October 11, 2024

Summary

Current Requirements

The Virginia Clean Economy Act of 2020 established a mandatory energy efficiency resource standard for investor-owned utilities. Dominion Energy must attain electricity savings of at least 5% relative to a 2019 baseline by 2025. Appalachian Power Company must attain 2% savings by 2025. After 2025, the State Corporation Commission will update targets every three years.

Origin and Electric Sales Reduction Goal

In March 2007, the Virginia legislature passed SB 1416 thereby amending Virginia’s earlier electric industry restructuring law, including a energy efficiency goal of 10% electricity savings by 2022 relative to 2006 base sales.

With SB 1416, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) was directed to conduct a series of proceedings to consider whether the 10% goal could be met cost-effectively, determine the mix of programs that should be implemented and their cost, and develop a plan for development and implementation of these programs.

The SCC completed a report verifying the energy efficiency goal of 10% by 2022 was achievable (Case No. PUE-2007-00049) and issued an Order in January of 2008 approving five conservation and energy efficiency pilot projects and four demand response/load management pilots proposed projects proposed by Dominion Virginia Power (Case No. PUE-2007-00089).

More information on Dominion's Energy Conservation Programs can be found on the utility's web site.

Cost Effectiveness and Program Evaluation

Virginia does not use a single cost effectiveness test as its primary test, and instead requires utilities looking to approve programs to submit Participant Cost Test (PCT), Ratepayer Impact Measure (RIM) test, Utility Cost Test (UCT) and the Total Resource Cost (TRC) Test scores from the California Standard Practice Manual.

Utility Cost Recovery Provisions

Virginia permits its electric utilities to recover the program costs and any lost revenues net of opportunities to increase "off-system" sales of electricity resulting from efficiency programs.

Special Provisions

Virginia law allows customers with observed demand of 10 MW at a single meter to opt out of paying for energy efficiency program charges.

Program Overview

Implementing Sector:	State
Category:	Regulatory Policy
State:	Virginia
Incentive Type:	Energy Efficiency Resource Standard
Web Site:	http://www.scc.virginia.gov/case/
Administrator:
Start Date:
Eligible Renewable/Other Technologies:
Electric Sales Reduction:	Dominion: 5% by 2025 Appalachian Power: 2% by 2025
Electric Peak Demand Reduction:	None
Natural Gas Sales Reduction:	None

Authorities

Name:	Virginia Acts of Assembly, Chapter 933
Date Enacted:	04/04/2007

Name:	Virginia SCC Docket PUE-2007-00049
Date Enacted:	06/08/2011

Name:	Virginia SCC Docket PUE-2007-00089
Effective Date:	09/08/2007

Name:	VAC Chapter 304
Date Enacted:	04/28/1993

Name:

Va. Code Ann. § 56-585.1

Name:	H.B. 1053
Date Enacted:	03/29/2016
Effective Date:	07/01/2016

Name:

H.B. 1526

Contact

Organization:	Virginia State Corporation Commission
Address:	1300 East Main Street Richmond VA 23219
Phone:	(804) 371-9967

This information is sourced from DSIRE; the most comprehensive source of information on incentives and policies that support renewables and energy efficiency in the United States. Established in 1995, DSIRE is operated by the N.C. Clean Energy Technology Center at N.C. State University.