FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Amy Bacigalupo, Clean Virginia Communications Manager
April 22, 2026
Governor’s Amendments Are a Step Forward on Energy Bill Relief, General Assembly Must Act
RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Abigail Spanberger has proposed amendments to two major pieces of energy legislation that would slow the increase in rising electric bills for Virginia families and small businesses. Clean Virginia is calling on the General Assembly to support the Governor’s amendments on Senate Bill 253 (Senator Louise Lucas, D – SD 18) and House Bill 1393 (Delegate Destiny LeVere Bolling, D – HD 80) during the veto session. These two companion pieces of legislation addressing a wide range of energy issues, including energy efficiency programs, power line undergrounding, and data center cost allocation, were heavily supported by utility monopoly Dominion Energy during the 2026 General Assembly session.
“Governor Spanberger has stepped in where the General Assembly largely failed to protect Virginians from rising utility costs,” said Brennan Gilmore, executive director of Clean Virginia. “These amendments represent a step forward, and lawmakers now have a second chance to stand with their constituents rather than powerful monopoly interests.”
Without intervention, SB 253 and HB 1393 could increase residential customers’ electric utility costs by at least $1.4 billion, according to estimates by the State Corporation Commission (SCC). The Governor’s amendments reverse that trajectory, providing customer savings instead of raising expenses for families. The amended bill could reduce residential customer costs by $267 million over the next five years alone. The amendments also restore the authority of the SCC to limit up to $3.8 billion in costs tied to Dominion’s undergrounding program — charges that the original legislation would have locked onto customer bills for decades.
“These amendments are a meaningful step forward for Virginia ratepayers, and the General Assembly should support them,” said Gilmore. “But they are not a substitute for the comprehensive reform we still need. As long as monopoly utilities overcharge customers to pad profits and data centers fail to pay their fair share, Virginians will be left paying the price.”
“The twin drivers of Virginia’s energy affordability crisis — data center demand and inflated utility profits — remain structural challenges that require comprehensive action to resolve. The Governor’s amendments are an important, immediate step in the right direction. Clean Virginia urges the General Assembly to codify these consumer protections into law,” Gilmore concluded.
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Clean Virginia is a 501(c)4 independent advocacy organization with an associated Political Action Committee, Clean Virginia Fund. Clean Virginia works to fight corruption in Virginia politics in order to promote clean and affordable energy. We are motivated by the core belief that our democracy should serve everyday Virginians over special interests.