Percentage of Income Payment Program and Fund; DHCD & DSS to adopt rules, etc., for adoption. (HB2330)

Introduced By

Del. Kaye Kory (D-Falls Church)

Description

Electric utilities; Percentage of Income Payment Program. Requires the Department of Social Services (the Department), in consultation with, as it deems necessary, the Department of Housing and Community Development, to adopt rules or establish guidelines for the adoption, implementation, and general administration of the Percentage of Income Payment Program (PIPP) and the Percentage of Income Payment Fund (Fund). The bill requires the PIPP to commence no later than one year after the Department publishes such rules or guidelines. The bill establishes the Fund for the purposes of implementing and administering the PIPP. The State Corporation Commission is required to promulgate any rules necessary to ensure that funds collected from the universal service fee of both American Electric Power and Dominion Energy Virginia are directed to the Fund. The bill limits the total annual cost of the energy reduction programs to $25 million for American Electric Power and $100 million for Dominion Energy Virginia. The bill requires the Commission to initiate proceedings to provide for an annual true-up of the universal service fee within 60 days of the commencement of the PIPP and on an annual or semiannual basis thereafter. The bill provides that the PIPP-eligible customers may utilize existing energy efficiency or related programs approved by the Commission and that the Department may review the needs of PIPP-eligible customers and whether gaps remain in serving such customers that are not already served by existing and available federal, state, local, or nonprofit programs to meet the required energy reduction obligations. The bill requires the Department to report the results of such analysis and review to the Chairs of the House Committee on Labor and Commerce and the Senate Committee on Commerce and Labor no later than November 1, 2022. The bill requires the Commission to issue an order providing for the non-bypassable universal service fee as soon as practicable following the bill's effective date and requires the Department and Dominion Energy Virginia, in the event the PIPP commences prior to July 1, 2023, to enter into a memorandum of understanding regarding payments rendered on behalf of PIPP-eligible customers. Read the Bill »

Status

03/24/2021: signed by governor

History