ACTIONS & EVENTS LEGISLATION IMMIGRATION NOMINEES

Climate and Clean Energy Working Group

Who We Are.

The Climate & Clean Energy Working Group (CCEWG) of the Virginia Grassroots Coalition is an action oriented, nimble group of volunteers dedicated to protecting Virginia's landmark climate and clean energy legislation including the Virginia Clean Economy Act, Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, and Clean Car Standards. We also focus on several bills each General Assembly (GA) session that will continue to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and propel Virginia towards an affordable, clean energy economy.

What We Do.

Legislative Priorities. We work closely with partners including the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Clean Virginia and Appalachian Voices to formulate our legislative priorities.
Meetings with Legislators. Prior to the GA session, we meet and discuss our positions with Virginia legislators on committees that have jurisdiction over climate and clean energy legislation.
Email Legislators on Bills During the General Assembly. During the session, we formulate easy Calls to Action so our members send emails to legislators prior to a committee vote on our priority bills.
Lobby Days in Richmond. We "road trip" to Richmond where we partner with other climate advocacy groups to collectively lobby legislators.
Testify at GA Committee Hearings. We testify, in person or by video conferencing, before Committees on our key bills. Testimony is short (1-2 minutes) and easy to do.
Monthly Meetings with Speakers. We have monthly meetings throughout the legislative session (December–March) where our members are updated on legislative priorities, strategies, and insights from environmental lobbyists and legislators.
What YOU Can Do. Join the CCEWG and be an advocate for our bills. As a volunteer, you can email legislators to support bills during session, meet with legislators, participate in a lobby day, or amplify our message on social media. You choose how you’d like to be involved.

Please contact climateATvirginiagrassrootsDOTorg or reach out to the team.

Leadership Team

Meredith Haines, Monique Hanis and Sharon Shutler.
Follow on Bluesky @VGCclimate.bsky.social


2025 Priority Legislation

2025 Priority Bills

Climate & Clean Energy

Cat Number Title Patron House Senate updated
climate HB 1791 Support Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. more...
Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities,...
Sullivan (D) Passed
56-Y 41-N
Committee
Commerce & Labor
2/5/25
climate HB 1883 Support Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements; power purchase agreements. more...
Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with behind-the meter solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of three megawatts or less located in the Commonwealth. ...
Callsen(D) Passed
96-Y 0-N
Committee
Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor
2/4/25
climate HB 2101 Support Electric utilities; data center cost allocation. more...
Directs the State Corporation Commission to initiate proceedings to determine if the current allocation of costs among different customer classifications of electric utilities requires customers that are not data centers to unreasonably subsidize the costs of customers that are data centers. ...
Maldonado(D) Tabled
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (5-Y 0-N)
1/30/25
climate HB 2126 Support Virginia Energy Facility Review Board established ... l more...
Establishes the Virginia Energy Facility Review Board as a political subdivision of the Commonwealth for the purposes of conducting critical interconnection reviews, conduct analysis and study policy options, review regional energy plans, local comprehensive plans, and local solar and storage ordinances and to facilitate the responsible siting of critical interconnection projects in the Commonwealth....
Sullivan (D) Tabled
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (4-Y 1-N)
1/30/25
climate HB 2346 Support Electric utilities; virtual power plant pilot program. more...
Requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to conduct a pilot program to evaluate methods to optimize demand through various technology applications, including the establishment of virtual power plants. ...
Hernandez(D) Passed
71-Y 27-N
2/4/25
climate HB 2356 Support Prevailing wage rate; apprenticeship requirements; renewable energy portfolio standard eligible source work; penalties. more...
Requires each public service company, including its contractors and subcontractors, to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. ...
King(D) Passed
51-Y 48-N
2/4/25
climate HB 2578 Support Retail sales and use tax; exemption for data centers; reports. more...
Requires a data center operator, in order to be eligible for the existing data center sales and use tax exemption to (i) beginning July 1, 2030, purchase a certain percentage of the data center's annual electric load from clean energy resources, (ii) beginning July 1, 2030, ...
Sullivan (D) Tabled
Subcommittee recommends laying on the table (4-Y 1-N)
1/30/25
climate HB 2604 Support Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities. Print more...
Requires an electric utility seeking approval to construct or purchase a generating facility that emits carbon dioxide to demonstrate that it has conducted a request for proposals...
Tran(D) Stricken
L&CSub3 recommends striking (10-Y 0-N)
1/29/25
climate SB 853 Support Prevailing wage rate; apprenticeship requirements; RPS-eligible source work; penalties. more...
Requires each public service company, including its contractors and subcontractors, to ensure payment at the prevailing wage rate set by the Department of Labor and Industry for any mechanic, laborer, or worker employed, retained, or otherwise hired to perform construction, maintenance, or repair work for certain electricity generating sources. ...
Rouse(D) Committee
Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce
Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (20-Y 18-N)
2/5/25
climate SB 960 Support Electric utilities; data center cost allocation. more...
Directs the State Corporation Commission to initiate proceedings to determine if the current allocation of costs among different customer classifications of electric utilities requires customers that are not data centers to unreasonably subsidize the costs of customers that are data centers....
Perry(D)
Passed
26-Y 13-N 1-A
2/4/25
climate SB 1021 Support Electric utilities; integrated resource plans. more...
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. ...
Surovell(D)
Passed
21-Y 19-N
2/5/25
climate SB 1040 Support Electric utilities; renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements; power purchase agreements. more...
Amends certain renewable energy portfolio standard program requirements for Dominion Energy Virginia, including the annual percentage of program requirements to be met with behind-the meter solar, wind, or anaerobic digestion resources of three megawatts or less located in the Commonwealth. ...
VanValkenburg(D) Committee
Labor & Commerce
Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (26-Y 14-N)
2/5/25
climate SB 1100 Support Electric utilities; virtual power plant pilot program more...
Requires Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power to petition the State Corporation Commission for approval to conduct a pilot program to evaluate methods to optimize demand through various technology applications, including the establishment of virtual power plants. ...
Hashmi(D) Committee
Labor & Commerce
Passed
Read third time and passed Senate (22-Y 18-N)
2/5/25
climate SB 1114 Support Local regulation of solar facilities; special exceptions. more...
Provides that a ground-mounted solar energy generation facility to be located on property zoned agricultural, commercial, industrial, or institutional shall be permitted pursuant to various criteria...
VanValkenburg(D)
Incorporated
Incorporated by Commerce and Labor (SB1190-Deeds) (15-Y 0-N)
1/27/25
climate SB 1196 Support Sales and use tax exemption; data centers. more...
Requires data center operators to meet certain energy efficiency standards in order to be eligible for the sales and use tax exemption for data center purchases....
Deeds(D)
Left
Finance & Appropriations
2/4/25
climate SB 1225 Support Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund created. more...
Creates the Electric Vehicle Rural Infrastructure Program and Fund to assist private developers with non-utility costs associated with the installation of electric vehicle charging stations (i) in certain localities,...
Aird(D)
PBI
14-0 vote
1/21/25
climate SB 1403 Support Electric utilities; request for proposals required for certain facilities. more...
Requires an electric utility seeking approval to construct or purchase a generating facility that emits carbon dioxide to demonstrate that it has conducted a request for proposals designed to fairly evaluate all available supply-side and demand-side options prior to seeking approval for such generating facility....
Surovell(D)
Stricken
Stricken at request of Patron in Commerce and Labor (15-Y 0-N)
1/27/25
climate SB 1434 Support Solar photovoltaic project; siting. more...
Requires the Department of Energy's Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to establish regional planning targets for each planning district for energy production and energy efficiency. ...
McPike(D)
Incorporated
Incorporated by Commerce and Labor (SB1190-Deeds) (15-Y 0-N)
1/27/25
No. of bills: 18

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Virginia Grassroots Coalition - Climate
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Supporting VA legislation to lower emissions and accelerate an affordable, clean energy economy.

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Events

Google doc: Events
Google doc: Actions

Resources

2023 VA GA Committee members (Google doc)

2023 GA Committee members (Google SS) See tabs on bottom for other chamber and committees.


2022 VA GA Committee members

Senate and Committee contact info

HD and SD contact info