republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/sb-659.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "Solar Interconnection Grant Program; established, report, sunset."
description: "Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program established; report; sunset. Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid. The Program is administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department of Energy. The bill requires that priority be given to solar facilities located on previously developed project sites and requires the Division to establish and publish guidelines and criteria for the awarding of grants and general requirements of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027, and, as introduced, was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 683."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2026"
identifier: "SB 659"
citation: "Virginia SB 659 (2026)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Christie New Craig"]
version_count: 4
action_count: 33
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2026-01-14"
last_action: "2026-04-13"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/79c8dea5-da4e-4223-8776-6eef4e24eefa"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB659"
source_hash: "82e048b91e44b32e4f034f784bf55ec5b6f56ddbefb4e88a9e73b974309d0cc7"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia SB 659 (2026) — Solar Interconnection Grant Program; established, report, sunset.

Solar Interconnection Grant Fund and Program established; report; sunset. Establishes the Solar Interconnection Grant Program for the purpose of awarding grants on a competitive basis to public bodies to offset costs associated with the interconnection of solar facilities to the grid. The Program is administered by the Division of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency of the Department of Energy. The bill requires that priority be given to solar facilities located on previously developed project sites and requires the Division to establish and publish guidelines and criteria for the awarding of grants and general requirements of the Program. The bill has an expiration date of July 1, 2027, and, as introduced, was a recommendation of the Commission on Electric Utility Regulation. This bill is identical to HB 683.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1091690.PDF)
2. **Chaptered** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1221752.PDF)
3. **Finance and Appropriations Substitute** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1145742.PDF)
4. **Enrolled** (enrolled) — [source](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1191327.PDF)

## Votes

- Reported from Commerce and Labor — **12–3** (pass) · upper
- Passage R — **30–8** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Appropriations — **22–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed R — **40–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute — **12–2** (pass) · upper
- H VOTE: — **84–15** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Christie New Craig — primary (person)
- Jennifer D. Carroll Foy — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2026-01-14** Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104604D `filing, introduction`
- **2026-01-14** Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-30** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB659)
- **2026-02-08** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB659)
- **2026-02-09** Reported from Commerce and Labor and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (12-Y 3-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-11** Reported from Finance and Appropriations with substitute (12-Y 2-N 1-A) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-12** Rules suspended
- **2026-02-12** Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
- **2026-02-12** Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
- **2026-02-13** Committee substitute printed 26107816D-S1 `substitution`
- **2026-02-13** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-02-13** Finance and Appropriations Substitute agreed to
- **2026-02-13** Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) `substitution`
- **2026-02-16** Read third time and passed Senate (30-Y 8-N 1-A) `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-02-18** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB659)
- **2026-02-20** Placed on Calendar
- **2026-02-20** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2026-02-20** Referred to Committee on Appropriations `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** Assigned HAPP sub: Commerce Agriculture & Natural Resources `referral-committee`
- **2026-02-25** Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2026-02-27** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2026-03-02** Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar
- **2026-03-02** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2026-03-02** Passed House (84-Y 15-N 0-A) `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Enrolled `enrolled`
- **2026-03-05** Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB659ER) `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB659)
- **2026-03-05** Signed by Speaker `passage`
- **2026-03-05** Signed by President `passage`
- **2026-03-10** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 10, 2026 `enrolled, executive-receipt`
- **2026-03-10** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 `executive-receipt`
- **2026-04-13** Approved by Governor-Chapter 660 (effective 7/1/2026) `executive-signature`
- **2026-04-13** Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0660)

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/79c8dea5-da4e-4223-8776-6eef4e24eefa`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).