Local or rooftop solar offers an array of benefits to help Virginians use more clean energy while bringing down the cost of power for all Virginians, whether they have installed solar power or not. Adding batteries to store energy increases the benefits to a home, school or business as well as the whole grid.

But to protect their own profits, Virginia's biggest monopoly utility companies, Dominion and Appalachian Power, have been trying for years to make it harder or more expensive for Virginia’s homes, schools, hospitals, and businesses to get their own solar power.

In addition, now Dominion is now proposing to merge with an even bigger utility company from out of state, NextEra Energy based in Florida. The new combined company would be the largest utility in the United States, and would have unprecedented control over decisions about energy, including local solar power and other distributed energy resources such as batteries and electric vehicles.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission will review and decide whether to approve or deny the utility merger request. In addition, the Virginia General Assembly may decide to take action that could affect the merger review process.

To make sure that the merger, if approved, does not raise more barriers to local solar power but instead protects the rights of Virginians to produce our own clean energy, we must make our voices heard with state policymakers and regulators in Richmond. And to do that, we need resources to engage legal and advocacy professionals and to cover their work over the coming months as the utility merger discussions heat up.

Members of the VA-DSA have already contributed to this effort. But most solar companies in Virginia are small businesses, lacking the funds for the best representation in the state capital, even while monopoly utilities hire the most expensive lawyers and lobbyists to try to shut us down.

By pooling our funds and relying on people power, solar companies have engaged the experts we need to make our case in Richmond. But to continue the fight against the deep pockets of big utilities, the DSA needs help. If you care about clean energy in Virginia, then please help us keep up the fight for your solar rights!

Stand Up for Local Solar with Virginia Leaders

Protect the Right of Virginia Homes, Schools & Businesses to Go Solar without Unnecessary High Costs