Virginia

Net-zero by 2045

The 2016-2020 Greenhouse Gas Inventory was published in November 2022.

"Environmental justice communities" are geographic areas in which the percentage of the population of color is higher than the statewide share, or are census block groups in which at least 30% of the population has an annual household income less than 80% of the area's median income and 200% of the federal poverty level.

VA EJScreen+

DEQ – Office of Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice Interagency Working Group

Virginia Council on Environmental Justice

The Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act authorized Virginia to join the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initative, a cap-and-trade program that covers the electricity sector. Virginia was a participating state from 2021-2023. In June 2023, the Air Pollution Control Board voted to advance Governor Youngkin's proposal to withdraw from RGGI. In November 2024, a judge ruled that Virginia can’t withdraw from RGGI without the state legislature’s authorization. The ruling stated the state’s Air Pollution Control Board exceeded its authority when it voted to exit the program.

Utilities must incorporate the social cost of carbon in applications for new generating facilities.

100% renewable energy for Phase II Utilities by 2045 | 100% for Phase I Utilities by 2050

Virginia has an active community choice aggregation program.

3,100 megawatts (MW) of energy storage capacity by 2035 from the state's two investor-owned utilities (2,700 MW for Dominion and 400 MW for Appalachian Power Company). 10% of projects must be deployed behind the meter, and 35% of capacity must be owned by non-utility entities.

Virginia received a C grade from Freeing the Grid.

Requires 100% renewable energy by 2045 or 2050, depending on the type of electric utility, and does not include energy derived from coal in its definition of renewable electricity.

The statewide energy code for residential construction is 2021 IECC with amendments.

The statewide energy code for commercial building construction is 2021 IECC and ASHRAE 90.1-2019.

Phase 1 electric utilities are required to achieve 2% energy savings by 2025 and Phase 2 utilities are required to achieve 5% savings by 2025, relative to 2019 sales. The State Corporation Commission will establish efficiency savings targets for 2026–2028.

Gas utilities are not subject to an EERS.

Virginia has enacted commercial PACE-enabling legislation and has active programs.

Virginia Clean Vehicles

Model Year (MY) 2026: 35% of new passenger vehicle sales are ZEVs | MY 2030: 68% of new sales are ZEVs | MY 2035: 100% of new sales are ZEVs, with up to 20% being hybrid or hydrogen-powered vehicles.

New county, city, town, or school buildings larger than 5,000 square feet include sufficient electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, such as EV chargers, EV-ready electrical capacity, or other fueling infrastructure.

The state prohibits certain HFCs in specific stationary refrigeration and air-conditioning end-uses.