Virginians are facing a cost-of-living crisis.

Energy bills are up. Housing is more expensive. Health care costs are rising. People are working harder and falling further behind. This isn’t a series of isolated affordability problems. It’s the result of a political system where powerful corporations can buy access and shape policy, and everyday people pay more just to get by.

Who are the biggest players gaming the system?

A small number of powerful corporations benefit at the expense of everyone else when they have the power to tilt the rules in their favor. Some of the biggest culprits here in Virginia are:

• Monopoly utilities: State-regulated corporations (like Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company) wield enormous political power in Richmond, backed by fleets of corporate lobbyists and millions of dollars in campaign contributions. (Follow the money to find out if your representatives accept utility funding.)
• Big Tech: Companies owned by some of the richest corporations on the planet (like Amazon and Microsoft) are gaming Virginia’s energy system. Their massive data centers drive enormous new demand for electricity, while everyday people are left footing the bill.
• The fossil fuel industry: These companies profit when new gas plants and pipelines are built, even when those projects are unnecessary, expensive and harmful to our health and environment.

The 2026 legislative session is a turning point.

Voters set a historic precedent in November’s election, giving a new class of elected leaders a mandate to stand up against corporate power and tackle the affordability crisis. 

In this year’s 2026 General Assembly legislative session, these newly elected candidates are joining long-time champions in tackling affordability in two vital arenas: campaign finance reform and energy policy.

Here’s a look at what’s currently moving through the General Assembly:

• Corporate Power Reset Act (HB 1447): This bill, carried by Delegate Jackie Glass, makes clear that corporations only have the powers Virginia explicitly gives them and that those powers do not include spending money to influence elections or ballot measures. It closes a legal loophole that allows corporate political spending by default, while leaving political speech and activity by individuals fully protected.
• Appalachian Power Customer Protection Act (HB 1075 and SB 691): This bipartisan bill package directs state regulators to put affordability first for Appalachian Power customers by limiting unjustified utility profits, blocking customers from paying for uneconomic power decisions, and requiring a review of lower-cost options to meet future demand.
• No New Gas for Big Tech (SB 619): These bills protect Virginians from subsidizing costly, polluting fossil fuel infrastructure by requiring data centers to obtain a certificate of operation from the State Corporation Commission before they connect to the grid. The SCC can only approve new facilities if it finds they do not threaten affordability, reliability or the state’s clean energy goals.
• Fair Power Planning Act (HB 429 and SB 249): These bills, carried by Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling and Senator Scott Surovell, update how Virginia’s electric utilities plan for the future by extending the planning period from 15 years to 20 years and changing the planning period from every two years to every three years. The bills also strengthen public input by requiring an independent facilitator for the stakeholder review process and directing the State Corporation Commission to set clear rules that promote transparency, strong planning, and meaningful public participation.

Corporate influence is deeply entrenched in Virginia politics, and it’s going to be an uphill battle to dismantle the deliberate policy choices shaped by money and power, so these lawmakers need your support this legislative session to turn the tide.

What can you do right now?

The 2026 Virginia General Assembly Session officially kicked off on January 14th, which means now is the time to get ready for action. Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Sign up for action alerts: (Emails & texts!) Throughout the legislative session, we’ll be keeping an eye on these bills and keep you updated on how they’re progressing. When something comes up for a vote, we’ll send you an action alert letting you know to contact your legislator to urge them to vote in support (or sometimes opposition) of critical legislation.
• Schedule an appointment to talk your legislator in-person: Meeting with your reps face-to-face to tell them what matters to you is the most impactful way to advocate for change.
• Testify on a bill: Another way to get involved is to testify in support or opposition of a bill in front of a voting committee. You can do this virtually or in-person.
• Stay up to date: Follow us on social media for updates and opportunities to take action throughout the legislative session, and if you see something you care about, share it!
• Talk to your family and friends: For many, getting involved in the policymaking process can be overwhelming. Talking with your family and friends about what’s happening during the legislative session helps demystify the process and reminds people that the decisions made now will directly affect their daily lives. Getting involved is easier and more impactful when you do it together.

Conclusion

We can continue down a path that prioritizes corporate power and political influence, or we can finally start fixing a system that isn’t working for the people it’s supposed to serve. Voters were clear about their priorities last election, and now is the time they will be tested.

Real change happens when everyday people speak up, get involved and make their voices impossible to ignore. Corporate lobbyists will be loud this legislative session. It’s up to us to be louder.

*To learn more about Clean Virginia’s priorities in the 2026 legislative session, or to see additional bills we’re supporting, visit our website.