Virginia passes law to include geothermal power in renewable energy portfolio standard

Richmond, Virginia (source: jeff horne from Richmond, VA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Carlo Cariaga 22 May 2025

Governor of Virginia Glenn Youngkin (R) has signed into law Senate Bill 1316, which proposes to include geothermal energy as one of the eligible renewable technologies under the state’s Renewables Portfolio Standard. The bill was authored Senator Jeremy McPike (D).

The Renewables Portfolio Standard, introduced in 2020 via House Bill 1526, established a mandatory renewable portfolio standard for electric utilities and suppliers in Virginia. The law mandates that Phase II utilities generate 100% of their power from renewable sources, and that Phase I utilities follow by 2050.

With the amendment, utilities can now shift to “geothermal electric generating resources” to comply with the Renewables Portfolio Standard. It joins other renewable energy sources including solar and wind, waste-to-energy, hydropower, geothermal heating and cooling, and biomass.

There was also a move to include nuclear under the renewable energy sources eligible under the standard, but this was rejected by members of the General Assembly.

“The geology of Virginia may not be perfect for [geothermal], but we want companies to explore it as a renewable source,” McPike says. “And so, this is something that hasn’t been in the code. I think by adding it, it’s a signal that, ‘hey, we’re interested [in] adding it to our renewable portfolio standard.’”

“I’m very glad that the governor has been a leader in energy his administration. I think that’s one of his legacy points is energy planning,” said Thomas Turner, the Virginia state director of Conservatives for Clean Energy. “And I’m really thankful that he has embraced the all-of-the-above approach to energy, as many Republican governors have across the country.”

Source: Radio WVTF, DSIRE, and Legiscan