Bill > SB973

This bill establishes a pilot program for electric utilities in Virginia to develop projects that capture and generate electricity from waste mine methane, which is methane gas captured from abandoned underground coal mine areas that would otherwise be released into the atmosphere. The State Corporation Commission will oversee the program, allowing Phase I and Phase II utilities to submit proposals for non-combustion electric generation projects utilizing waste mine methane. These projects must demonstrate benefits such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, decreasing air pollution, improving energy system efficiency, and offering operational flexibility. Phase I utilities can propose projects between 5-25 megawatts, while Phase II utilities can propose projects between 5-50 megawatts. The utilities can recover the project costs through their generation and distribution service rates, and the electricity generated from these projects will be considered an eligible resource for the state's renewable energy portfolio standard program until December 31, 2045. The bill requires utilities to evaluate potential governmental funding sources and obtain certification that the methane is not being counted towards renewable energy requirements in other jurisdictions. By December 31, 2025, the Commission must adopt rules and guidelines for administering these pilot program projects.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20251/SB973