Virginia House committee advances bipartisan Fair Energy Bills Act

The House Labor and Commerce Committee voted 14-4 vote Thursday to advance the Fair Energy Bills Act.

HB 1132, introduced by Democratic Del. Jay Jones and Republican Del. Lee Ware, would restore the State Corporation Commission’s traditional regulatory authority to examine Dominion Energy’s earnings, set its allowed profit level, and direct the monopoly to lower rates and issue refunds if the SCC deems it has overcharged customers.

“Every vote for the Fair Energy Bills Act brings us one step closer to tackling Virginia’s energy burden crisis,” Clean Virginia Executive Director Brennan Gilmore said. “Virginians pay the seventh highest electric bills in the country, and for 75 percent of Virginia households, the amount of income they spend on electricity is unaffordable by federal standards. To make matters worse, Dominion Energy has overcharged Virginians by $1.3 billion since 2015.

“It’s no secret that the General Assembly has eroded the traditional authority of the State Corporation Commission in recent years at the expense of customers. This important regulatory agency is the best defense to protect customers from being overcharged by Dominion Energy, but only if it is equipped to do its job,” Gilmore said.