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Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3

Tuesday, March 3, 2026·35m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Labor and Commerce Subcommittee #3 advanced a slate of energy-related bills covering EV charging, methane capture, electric utility demand flexibility, solar licensing, energy storage, and utility undergrounding, while tabling a data center certificate-of-operation bill 9–0 and carrying over a cost-allocation bill to 2027 amid sharp disagreement between ratepayer advocates and the data center industry.

Key Actions

·Bill 1 (number unclear) – EV Charging/Wattage Technical MattersPassed

+ 5 more actions

Controversies

Legislative history and viability of SB339

The chair stated that SB339 'is similar to Delegate Maldonado's, and it did not make it out of this committee,' implying the bill faced the same fate, while Senator Perry continued to advocate for it; the bill was ultimately carried over to 2027.

Notable Quotes

“This the first year in three years that we have got peace in the valley with the environmental group that has been working with us. And what this does is this is a grant program that incentivize the capture and sequestration or beneficial use of methane from active and abandoned mines that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere.”

Senator T. Travis Hackworth (SB333 patron) — Senator Hackworth was describing SB333, a methane capture grant program focused on active and abandoned mines in southwest Virginia, and noting rare alignment between the natural gas industry and environmental groups.

+ 4 more quotes

Votes

Motion to report Bill 1 (number unclear) as substitutePassed
Motion to report SB333 as substitutePassed
Motion to report SB371 as substitutePassed
Motion to report SB823 (exact number unclear) as substitutePassed
Motion to report SB448 as substitutePassed
Motion to conform SB651 to HB1487 (voice vote)Passed
Motion to report SB651 as substitute (post-conforming to HB1487)Passed
Motion to carry SB339 over to 2027 (voice vote)Passed
Motion to table SB619 with request for SEC letterPassed
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TranscriptPreview
My understanding is he's okay with them. That's my understanding as well. Yeah. But I just have. His bill came out of committee before mine did, so I got to get his caught up to mine on the floor tomorrow. Okay. Is there anyone here who needs to testify, wants to testify in favor of the bills? Is the administration in the room? Okay. Oh, here she comes. Yes, ma'. Am. Mr. Chair, members of the subcommittee, Kristen Dahlman, Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade. We thank the patron for carrying the bill. Appreciate all everyone working on this bill together. And this is a. We strongly support this bill as part of the governor's affordability agenda. Thank you. Great. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Secretary. So this may be different than what we talked about in the subcommittee before, but as I understand, what you're proposing, Senator, is we passed this bill today and you committed to conform delegate Krizek's to yours tomorrow. So they will line up as they as his goes through the Senate. Is that right? Yeah. All right. Well, I got you on tape. That's good. It's not much different. It's just. It's mostly technical…
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