Yesterday, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) released its final order in Dominion’s energy efficiency case. The ruling contains a slate of Dominion Energy programs that will help customers save energy and money. It also sets parameters in place to ensure Dominion tracks and meets each programs’ goals.  

Among the items approved is an improvement in the criteria and process for low-income households to participate in Dominion’s energy-saving programs. This process will open the door for more customers to be eligible to participate in the programs and standardizes the approval process for construction projects to upgrade the energy efficiency of low-income homes.

This ruling represents a win for Virginia’s clean energy economy and will help customers save energy and money. The ruling also set parameters in place to ensure Dominion tracks and meets each programs’ goals. The conservation community provided recommendations to the SCC on how to strengthen Dominion’s accountability toward their stated goals. In order for these programs to truly provide the benefit for which they show potential, a more rigorous evaluation of each program’s cost-effectiveness and validated energy savings is essential. The SCC adopted those sentiments and directed Dominion to develop a dashboard to show energy investments and savings in all future filings. 

Seeing so many of the conservation community’s recommendations included in the ruling underscores how critical it is for us to remain an engaged stakeholder in the regulatory process. Network Partners working on this case include Appalachian Voices, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Southern Environmental Law Center.