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Loudoun board endorses Environmental Commission position on Dominion Energy net‑metering petition and authorizes staff testimony
Summary
The Board of Supervisors endorsed the Environmental Commission’s recommended position on Dominion Energy Virginia’s petition to revise net‑metering and authorized a staff witness at the State Corporation Commission hearing. Supervisors split on whether the county should weigh in on technical rate design questions or limit its statement to county energy goals and rooftop solar incentives.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted Jan. 6 to endorse the Environmental Commission’s recommended position statement for testimony at the Dominion Energy Virginia State Corporation Commission hearing (case PUR‑2025‑00079) and authorized the county administrator to appoint a staff member to serve as the board’s witness. The motion, amended to reference the supplemental action item provided to supervisors, passed with a recorded majority.
The Environmental Commission’s recommendations are detailed and focus on the county’s energy strategy and the effects of any change to net‑metering credits on county residents’ ability to install rooftop solar and battery storage. Supporters of the endorsement argued the county should promote rooftop solar and ensure net‑metering changes do not undercut local energy goals. Supervisor Gurney noted that net metering penetration is small statewide and framed the issue as one of encouraging broader rooftop solar adoption: "Net metering is less than 2% of all energy in Virginia," she said, urging the county to support policies that make solar affordable and accessible.
Others cautioned that the technical merits of Dominion’s filing, including its cost‑shift arguments and grandfathering provisions, are matters for the SCC’s technical review. One supervisor urged deference to the SCC’s expertise on complex rate design. The board settled on endorsing the Environmental Commission’s policy‑focused statement rather than advancing technical rate modeling.
The board also authorized the county administrator to appoint a staff witness to present the county’s position at the Jan. 20 hearing. That staff witness will present the county’s energy‑policy concerns and support for measures that promote distributed generation and community energy resilience.
Next step: the county will file the endorsed position with the State Corporation Commission and the appointed staff witness will present testimony at the scheduled hearing on Jan. 20, 2026.
