Virginia’s legislature has unanimously ordered utilities to prove they actually need new power lines before building them. (PV Magazine)
In a rare 100-0 vote, the House is compelling utilities to report strict "grid utilization" metrics. The goal is to expose how much expensive infrastructure sits idle most of the year and stop players like Dominion and Appalachian Power from padding the rate base with unnecessary upgrades.
The bill explicitly pushes for "Non-Wires Alternatives." Think: VPPs, batteries, and distributed generation to shave peak demand (as opposed to new substations).