A. The Division, in consultation with the State Corporation Commission, the Department of Environmental Quality, and the Center for Coal and Energy Research, shall prepare a comprehensive Virginia Energy Plan covering a 10-year period. The Plan shall propose actions, consistent with the objectives enumerated in § 67-101, that will implement the Commonwealth Energy Policy set forth in § 67-102.
1. Projections of energy consumption in the Commonwealth, including but not limited to the use of fuel sources and costs of electricity, natural gas, gasoline, coal, renewable resources, and other forms of energy resources used in the Commonwealth;
2. An analysis of the adequacy of electricity generation, transmission, and distribution resources in the Commonwealth for the natural gas and electric industries, and how regional generation, transmission, and distribution resources affect the Commonwealth;
3. An analysis of siting requirements for electric generation resources and natural gas and electric transmission and distribution resources;
4. An analysis of fuel diversity for electricity generation, recognizing the importance of flexibility in meeting future capacity needs;
5. An analysis of the efficient use of energy resources and conservation initiatives;
6. An analysis of how these Virginia-specific issues relate to regional initiatives to assure the adequacy of fuel production, generation, transmission, and distribution assets;
7. An analysis of siting of energy resource development, refining or transmission facilities to identify any disproportionate adverse impact of such activities on economically disadvantaged or minority communities;
8. With regard to any regulations proposed or promulgated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel-fired electric generating units under § 111(d) of the Clean Air Act, 42 U.S.C. § 7411(d), an analysis of (i) the costs to and benefits for energy producers and electric utility customers; (ii) the effect on energy markets and reliability; and (iii) the commercial availability of technology required to comply with such regulations; and
9. Recommendations, based on the analyses completed under subdivisions 1 through 8, for legislative, regulatory, and other public and private actions to implement the elements of the Commonwealth Energy Policy.
C. In preparing the Plan, the Division and other agencies involved in the planning process shall utilize state geographic information systems, to the extent deemed practicable, to assess how recommendations in the plan may affect pristine natural areas and other significant onshore natural resources.
D. In preparing the Plan, the Division and other agencies involved in the planning process shall develop a system for ascribing numerical scores to parcels of real property based on the extent to which the parcels are suitable for the siting of a wind energy facility or solar energy facility. For wind energy facilities, the scoring system shall address the wind velocity, sustained velocity, turbulence, proximity to electric power transmission systems, potential impacts to natural and historic resources and to economically disadvantaged or minority communities, and compatibility with the local land use plan. For solar energy facilities, the scoring system shall address the parcel’s proximity to electric power transmission lines, potential impacts of such a facility to natural and historic resources and to economically disadvantaged or minority communities, and compatibility with the local land use plan. The system developed pursuant to this section shall allow the suitability of the parcel for the siting of a wind energy facility or solar energy facility to be compared to the suitability of other parcels so scored, and shall be based on a scale that allows the suitability of the parcel for the siting of a such an energy facility to be measured against the hypothetical score of an ideal location for such a facility.
E. After July 1, 2007, upon receipt by the Division of a recommendation from the Department of General Services, a local governing body, or the parcel’s owner that a parcel of real property is a potentially suitable location for a wind energy facility or solar energy facility, the Division shall analyze the suitability of the parcel for the location of such a facility. In conducting its analysis, the Division shall ascribe a numerical score to the parcel using the scoring system developed pursuant to subsection D.
History
2006, c. 939; 2014, cc. 603, 756.
