Overview
- Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed 18 energy bills on Tuesday, June 30, clearing the way for Virginia to formally rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative the next day.
- RGGI is a regional cap‑and‑trade program that requires power plants to buy emissions allowances at auction and directs auction proceeds to programs such as energy efficiency and flood preparedness, about $828 million of which Virginia used when it previously participated.
- Dominion Energy projects reentry will add roughly $13 per month to the average customer’s power bill based on the cost of allowances it expects to pay.
- Lawmakers built a new RGGI consumer credit into the state budget to return allowance proceeds to ratepayers and to offset the projected charge, with state officials saying the credit could lower average bills by up to about $3 per month.
- The decision has drawn partisan criticism, with Senate Republican Leader Ryan McDougle calling RGGI a tax, and a right‑leaning outlet reported Dominion filed with the State Corporation Commission seeking rate adjustments, a regulatory step that will shape how costs and investments are ultimately passed to Virginians.