Thanks for the opportunity to contribute.
Virginia should prioritize distributed solar, including community (shared solar)
Distributed solar provides affordable, clean energy for subscribers.
Particularly amid the current context of volatile natural gas prices, distributed solar can provide energy security at a reliably low long-term cost.
Distributed solar creates up to 6x more jobs than utility-scale solar.
Policies that promote shared (community) solar should be pursued
Utilities should not be allowed to charge unreasonable "minimum bills" for customers with a shared solar subscription, as Dominion was recently allowed to do by the SCC. At $55, that's the highest minimum charge in the country and makes this option uneconomic for many households.
Any new shared solar program should include a carve-out for low-income customers.
Additionally, customers of Appalachian Power and electric co-ops should be allowed to subscribe to shared solar.
Solar development on brownfields (like formerly mined lands) should be incentivized
Virginia should provide $35M for the Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Fund to incentivize solar development on degraded lands.
Restrictions that limit this program from being funded without a federal match should be removed.
Virginia should actively seek federal money from the Inflation Reduction Act to support clean energy development in the Commonwealth, including by funding the Brownfield program.