67-201 - Development of the Virginia Energy Plan.
§ 67-201. Development of the Virginia Energy Plan.
A. The Division, in consultation with the State Corporation Commission, theDepartment of Environmental Quality, and the Center for Coal and EnergyResearch, shall prepare a comprehensive Virginia Energy Plan covering a10-year period. The Plan shall propose actions, consistent with theobjectives enumerated in § 67-101, that will implement the CommonwealthEnergy Policy set forth in § 67-102.
B. In addition, the Plan shall include:
1. Projections of energy consumption in the Commonwealth, including but notlimited to the use of fuel sources and costs of electricity, natural gas,gasoline, coal, renewable resources, and other forms of energy resources usedin the Commonwealth;
2. An analysis of the adequacy of electricity generation, transmission, anddistribution resources in the Commonwealth for the natural gas and electricindustries, and how regional generation, transmission, and distributionresources affect the Commonwealth;
3. An analysis of siting requirements for electric generation resources andnatural gas and electric transmission and distribution resources;
4. An analysis of fuel diversity for electricity generation, recognizing theimportance of flexibility in meeting future capacity needs;
5. An analysis of the efficient use of energy resources and conservationinitiatives;
6. An analysis of how these Virginia-specific issues relate to regionalinitiatives to assure the adequacy of fuel production, generation,transmission, and distribution assets;
7. An analysis of siting of energy resource development, refining ortransmission facilities to identify any disproportionate adverse impact ofsuch activities on economically disadvantaged or minority communities; and
8. Recommendations, based on the analyses completed under subdivisions 1through 7, for legislative, regulatory, and other public and private actionsto implement the elements of the Commonwealth Energy Policy.
C. In preparing the Plan, the Division and other agencies involved in theplanning process shall utilize state geographic information systems, to theextent deemed practicable, to assess how recommendations in the plan mayaffect pristine natural areas and other significant onshore natural resources.
D. In preparing the Plan, the Division and other agencies involved in theplanning process shall develop a system for ascribing numerical scores toparcels of real property based on the extent to which the parcels aresuitable for the siting of a wind energy facility or solar energy facility.For wind energy facilities, the scoring system shall address the windvelocity, sustained velocity, turbulence, proximity to electric powertransmission systems, potential impacts to natural and historic resources andto economically disadvantaged or minority communities, and compatibility withthe local land use plan. For solar energy facilities, the scoring systemshall address the parcel's proximity to electric power transmission lines,potential impacts of such a facility to natural and historic resources and toeconomically disadvantaged or minority communities, and compatibility withthe local land use plan. The system developed pursuant to this section shallallow the suitability of the parcel for the siting of a wind energy facilityor solar energy facility to be compared to the suitability of other parcelsso scored, and shall be based on a scale that allows the suitability of theparcel for the siting of a such an energy facility to be measured against thehypothetical score of an ideal location for such a facility.
E. After July 1, 2007, upon receipt by the Division of a recommendation fromthe Department of General Services, a local governing body, or the parcel'sowner that a parcel of real property is a potentially suitable location for awind energy facility or solar energy facility, the Division shall analyze thesuitability of the parcel for the location of such a facility. In conductingits analysis, the Division shall ascribe a numerical score to the parcelusing the scoring system developed pursuant to subsection D.
(2006, c. 939.)