A. A school board of a school division located in a locality that is a non-jurisdictional customer of a utility pursuant to § 56-234 and that owns or operates a public school building or facility that has been modernized consistent with Article 3 (§ 22.1-141.1 et seq.) of Chapter 9 of Title 22.1 and generates energy derived from sunlight and the solar generating facility is interconnected pursuant to § 56-594 may enter into a contract to generate such energy on terms and conditions negotiated between the customer and the utility.

Terms Used In Virginia Code 56-589.1

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Locality: means a county, city, or town as the context may require. See Virginia Code 1-221
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Renewable energy: means energy derived from sunlight, wind, falling water, biomass, sustainable or otherwise, (the definitions of which shall be liberally construed), energy from waste, landfill gas, municipal solid waste, wave motion, tides, and geothermal power, and does not include energy derived from coal, oil, natural gas, or nuclear power. See Virginia Code 56-576

B. The solar-powered renewable energy generation facilities associated with a public school building or facility owned or operated by a school board shall be located on the same real property upon which the public school buildings and facilities are located. The solar facilities shall be located on the rooftops of the public school buildings and facilities, however up to 20 percent of the capacity may come from ground mounted solar facilities.

C. Neither jurisdictional customers nor non-jurisdictional customers that do not participate in a school modernization project consistent with Article 3 (§ 22.1-141.1 et seq.) of Chapter 9 of Title 22.1 shall bear any costs associated with such school modernization project by a participating non-jurisdictional customer.

2019, cc. 818, 819.