On April 8, 2024, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed four bills into law that will expand shared (community) solar in Virginia. Some of the key details of the new legislation are as follows...more
This year’s Virginia General Assembly was a packed session with several important pieces of legislation under consideration to further Virginia’s energy transition. Register for our annual webinar where we will provide an...more
3/27/2024
/ Appeals ,
Brownfield Grants ,
Coal Mines ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Energy Reform ,
Energy Sector ,
General Assembly ,
Mandatory Disclosure Rules ,
Net Metering ,
New Legislation ,
Permits ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
RGGI ,
SCC ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Panels ,
Virginia ,
Webinars
On March 18, 2024, we issued an alert addressing Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s (VDEQ’s) recently proposed Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook, Version 1.0 (Handbook). The proposed Handbook is available...more
3/25/2024
/ Comment Period ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
Handbooks ,
New Guidance ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Solar Energy ,
Storm Water ,
Stormwater Discharge Permits ,
Utilities Sector ,
Waste Management
In January 2024, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VDEQ) released the Virginia Stormwater Management Handbook, Version 1.0 (Handbook). The Handbook provides guidance to implement construction stormwater...more
3/19/2024
/ Construction Industry ,
Construction Project ,
Department of Environmental Quality ,
Discharge of Pollutants ,
FERC ,
Interconnections ,
Public Comment ,
Solar Farm ,
Storm Water ,
Stormwater Discharge Permits ,
Utilities Sector ,
Waste Management ,
Water Pollution ,
Water Quality
Developing successful renewable energy projects begin with selecting the right project site. Securing site control using well drafted real estate contracts and conducting thorough real estate diligence can help identify...more
6/1/2023
/ Contract Drafting ,
Contract Negotiations ,
Due Diligence ,
Easements ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Land Owners ,
Land Titles ,
Leases ,
New Rules ,
PJM ,
Purchase Agreement ,
Renewable Energy ,
Webinars
Siting and permitting renewable energy projects in Virginia have become increasingly challenging as federal and state environmental laws, regulations and guidance have evolved in recent years. In particular, HB 206...more
4/28/2023
/ Department of Environmental Quality ,
Easements ,
Endangered Species ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Justice ,
Environmental Policies ,
Permits ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Storm Water ,
Virginia ,
Webinars ,
Wetlands
Are you developing a solar or energy storage project in Virginia? Want to learn more about Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Permit By Rule (PBR) permitting process for small renewable (solar) energy and...more
Since the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) in 2020, the number of solar and other energy projects has grown throughout Virginia. As a result, developers are now confronting a more challenging environment in...more
4/5/2023
/ Conditional Use Permit ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Land-Use Permits ,
Local Ordinance ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Special Use Permit ,
State and Local Government ,
Virginia ,
Webinars ,
Zoning Laws
On March 3, 2023, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (the “SCC”) issued an Order (the “March 3 Order”) to (i) establish two working groups to consider distributed energy resources (DER) interconnection issues, (ii)...more
Although this year’s Virginia General Assembly was a short session, there was still a long to-do list and lots of activity involving several important pieces of proposed energy legislation...more
3/16/2023
/ Clean Energy ,
Electricity ,
Energy Reform ,
Energy Sector ,
General Assembly ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Portfolio Standards ,
Solar Energy ,
Utilities Sector ,
Virginia ,
Webinars
On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (Act) into law. The Act broadly addresses climate change, taxes, health care and inflation....more
8/19/2022
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Energy ,
Climate Change ,
Defense Production Act ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Tax Incentives ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Federal Funding ,
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) ,
Investment Tax Credits ,
Production Tax Credit ,
Renewable Energy ,
Renewable Energy Incentives ,
Tax Credits
On June 6, 2022, President Biden announced a 2-year suspension of anti-dumping duties that could be levied on imported solar modules and cells from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam. The move is intended to accelerate...more
6/14/2022
/ Anti-Dumping Duty ,
Biden Administration ,
Countervailing Duties ,
Energy Projects ,
Executive Orders ,
Imports ,
Plastic Solar Cells ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
Solar Panels ,
U.S. Commerce Department
On May 24, 2022, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (the Commission) issued an Order establishing a proceeding to explore interconnection issues related to utility distributed energy resources (DER). As part of the...more
Over the last several years, the Virginia General Assembly has passed several new laws to provide additional tools to developers when seeking local zoning approval for solar and energy storage projects in Virginia. One of...more
Several potential options are available to developers when permitting energy storage projects in Virginia. The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) adopted Regulations Governing the Deployment of Energy Storage...more
Understanding how solar and energy storage projects are taxed in Virginia is often confusing. Who assesses the value? What is the rate? Are any tax exemptions available? What is the revenue share?...more
4/22/2022
/ Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Local Taxes ,
Pollution Control Facilities ,
Revenue Sharing ,
Solar Energy ,
State Taxes ,
Tax Exemptions ,
Tax Legislation ,
Tax Rates ,
Virginia ,
Webinars
On April 14, 2022, Michael Rolband, the director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), issued a memorandum addressing the framework for the implementation of more stringent stormwater management...more
Conducting environmental due diligence and considering a project’s impact on the environment are essential in acquiring or permitting utility-scale solar projects in Virginia. This was underscored by the Virginia Department...more
4/11/2022
/ Department of Environmental Quality ,
Due Diligence ,
Easements ,
Endangered Species ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Environmental Policies ,
Environmental Site Assessment ,
New Guidance ,
Policy Memorandums ,
Purchase Agreement ,
Renewable Energy ,
Representations and Warranties ,
Solar Energy ,
Storm Water ,
Utilities Sector ,
Virginia ,
Webinars
On March 29, 2022, Michael Rolband, the director of the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), issued a memorandum implementing a new and much more stringent post-development stormwater management policy for...more
The Virginia General Assembly passed several important pieces of legislation affecting the solar and energy storage industry during its 2022 legislative session... join us on Thursday, March 31, from 11:00 – 11:30 am (ET) for...more
3/25/2022
/ Adverse Impact ,
Amended Legislation ,
Community Shared Solar ,
Electricity ,
Energy Contracts ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Local Taxes ,
Municipalities ,
Natural Resources ,
Net-Energy Metering ,
New Legislation ,
Photovoltaic ,
Pilot Programs ,
Power Purchase Agreements ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Solar Energy ,
State and Local Government ,
Utilities Sector ,
Virginia ,
Webinars
On November 1, 2021, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued proposed small energy storage facilities permit by rule regulations (Storage PBR Regulations). The proposed Storage PBR Regulations establish...more
Effective as of January 1, 2021, the Virginia State Corporation Commission adopted Regulations Governing the Deployment of Energy Storage (the “Storage Rules”). The Storage Rules were promulgated pursuant to the Virginia...more
4/19/2021
/ Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Licenses ,
New Legislation ,
New Regulations ,
New Rules ,
Permits ,
Renewable Energy ,
Utilities Sector ,
Webinars
Building on the progress from the 2020 legislative session and the passage of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA), the Virginia General Assembly passed several important pieces of legislation affecting the solar and energy...more
3/16/2021
/ Brownfield Grants ,
Brownfield Properties ,
Clean Energy ,
Coal Mines ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Environmental Policies ,
Erosion ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
New Legislation ,
Permits ,
Pilot Programs ,
Power Purchase Agreements ,
Renewable Energy ,
Revenue Sharing ,
Sediment Control ,
Solar Energy ,
Stormwater Discharge Permits ,
Tax Exemptions ,
Third-Party ,
Webinars ,
Wetlands
In December 2020, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (the “Commission”) issued an order (the “Order”) adopting Regulations Governing the Deployment of Energy Storage, 20 VAC 5-335-10 et seq. (the “Rules”). The Rules...more
On December 23, 2020, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (the “Commission”) issued an Order (the “Order”) adopting Rules Governing Shared Solar Program, 20 VAC 5-340-10 et seq. (the “Rules”), effective as of January 1,...more