Bill > SB223

This bill establishes the Distributed Energy Resources Task Force as an advisory commission within the executive branch to develop a comprehensive strategy for integrating distributed energy resources (DERs), which are electricity sources or storage systems up to five megawatts located on a customer's property or connected to the local power grid, into the state's energy markets and to help the Commonwealth comply with Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) Order No. 2222, a regulation aimed at facilitating DER participation in wholesale electricity markets. The Task Force will have 16 members, including government officials, legislative appointees, and representatives from various energy sectors, and will be supported by staff from the Department of Energy, with all meetings and recommendations being publicly accessible. Its duties include reviewing current laws and practices affecting DERs, recommending modernized interconnection standards, advising on regulatory actions to align with FERC Order No. 2222, and proposing policies for microgrids, community resiliency hubs, and virtual power plants, while also coordinating with other relevant groups and supporting the Virginia Energy Plan. The Task Force is required to submit several reports, including a final report with legislative and regulatory recommendations by November 1, 2026, and a deployment report by June 30, 2027, and its provisions will expire on July 1, 2027.