Virginia SB 827: Underground transmission lines; pilot program, clarifies qualifying projects, report.

Bill Text

2026 SESSION

INTRODUCED

26106042D

SENATE BILL NO. 827

Offered January 23, 2026

A BILL to amend and reenact §§ 56-585.1:5 and 58.1-3814 of the Code of Virginia, relating to pilot program for underground transmission lines; qualifying projects; levy; report.

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Patrons—Srinivasan and Marsden; Delegate: Singh

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Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §§ 56-585.1:5 and 58.1-3814 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 56-585.1:5. Pilot program for underground transmission lines; report.

A. There is hereby established a pilot program to further the understanding of underground electric transmission lines in regard to electric reliability, construction methods and related cost and timeline estimating, the probability of meeting such projections, and the benefits of undergrounding existing electric transmission lines to promote economic development within the Commonwealth. The pilot program shall consist of the approval to construct qualifying electrical transmission lines of 230, at least a portion of which have a capacity of 500 kilovolts or less (but greater than 69 kilovolts), which portion shall be constructed in whole or in part underground to the extent that such portion is located within a mile of any residential area. Such pilot program shall consist of a total of two four qualifying electrical transmission line projects, constructed in whole or in part underground, as specified and set forth in this section.

B. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, as a part of the pilot program established pursuant to this section, In reviewing any application submitted by a public utility for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the construction of an electrical transmission line of 500 kilovolts filed between July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2033, the Commission shall may approve as a qualifying project a transmission line of 230 kilovolts or less that is pending final approval of a certificate of public convenience and necessity from the Commission as of December 31, 2017, for the construction of an electrical transmission line approximately 5.3 miles in length utilizing both overhead and underground transmission facilities, of which the underground portion shall be approximately 3.1 miles in length, which has been previously proposed for construction within or immediately adjacent to the right-of-way of an interstate highway. Once the Commission has affirmed the project need through an order, the project shall be constructed up to four applications for qualifying projects to be constructed in whole or in part underground, and the underground portion shall consist of a double circuit as part of the pilot program. The Commission shall provide an expedited review of any such application.

The Commission shall approve such underground construction within 30 days of receipt of the written request of the public utility to participate in the pilot program pursuant to this section. The Commission shall not require the submission of additional technical and cost analyses as a condition of its approval but may request such analyses for its review. The Commission shall approve the underground construction of one contiguous segment of the transmission line that is approximately 3.1 miles in length that was previously proposed for construction within or immediately adjacent to the right-of-way of the interstate highway, for which, by resolution, the locality has indicated general community support. The remainder of the construction for the transmission line shall be aboveground. The Commission shall not be required to perform any further analysis as to the impacts of this route, including environmental impacts or impacts upon historical resources.

The electric utility may proceed to acquire right-of-way and take such other actions as it deems appropriate in furtherance of the construction of the approved transmission line, including acquiring the cables necessary for the underground installation.

C. In reviewing applications submitted by public utilities for certificates of public convenience and necessity for the construction of electrical transmission lines of 230 kilovolts or less filed between July 1, 2018, and October 1, 2020, the Commission shall approve, consistent with the requirements of subsection D, one additional application as a qualifying project to be constructed in whole or in part underground, as a part of this pilot program. The one qualifying project shall be in addition to the qualifying project described in subsection B and shall be the relocation or conversion of an existing 230-kilovolt overhead line to an underground line.

D. For purposes of subsection C this section, a project shall be qualified to be placed underground, in whole or in part, if it meets all of the following criteria: (i) an

1. An engineering analysis demonstrates that it is technically feasible to plac