(The Center Square) – Virginia Energy reported $405 million in new grant funding and outlined project updates, planning tools and permitting changes in its 2025 midyear report.
The agency says it is managing more than $830 million in active projects. These include the zoning application for a commercial fusion plant in Chesterfield County developed by Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Google has committed to purchasing 200 megawatts of power from the project, which the report says is half of the facility’s expected output.
The Clean Energy Innovation Bank also supported a nuclear simulator at George Mason University and has reviewed 45 proposals to date, according to the report.
Virginia Energy reported a 26% reduction in regulatory requirements since 2022 and estimates $1.2 billion in annual savings from streamlined permitting. The report says the agency has created new public dashboards, launched an energy rebate portal, and developed a card-based education tool to explain how the electric grid works.
The report does not include new details on grid interconnection backlogs or transmission planning. On July 9, the State Corporation Commission approved Dominion Energy’s 2024 Integrated Resource Plan but said the filing does not reflect approval of the size or cost of future infrastructure.
As previously reported by The Center Square, the commission directed Dominion to include least-cost modeling and additional analysis of demand forecasts in future filings.
On July 16, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and Maryland Gov. Wes Moore joined eight other state leaders in a letter to PJM Interconnection’s board. The governors raised concerns about delays in transmission planning and requested changes to PJM’s board selection process.
The letter said states are seeking more involvement in grid planning decisions. “With billions of ratepayer dollars and the stability of our grid at stake, it is critical that PJM take concerted, effective action to restore state and stakeholder confidence,” the governors wrote.
“We write today with a first step that will begin to restore PJM’s legitimacy as the neutral grid operator it must remain. You must appoint distinguished, widely respected individuals to these two open board seats. They must be individuals who understand the concerns of ratepayers facing rising costs and who will be ready to collaborate with the incoming CEO to instill a new, more collaborative and more effective ethos at PJM.”
