HB 981

Abstract

Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act; fund. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to incorporate into regulations previously adopted by the State Air Pollution Control Board certain provisions establishing a carbon dioxide cap and trade program to reduce emissions released by electric generation facilities. Such provisions are required to comply with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative model rule. The bill authorizes the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to establish, implement, and manage an auction program to sell allowances into a market-based trading program. The bill requires revenues from the sale of carbon allowances, to the extent permitted by Article X, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia, to be deposited in an interest-bearing account and to be distributed without further appropriation (i) to the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; (ii) to the Department of Housing and Community Development for low-income energy efficiency programs; (iii) for administrative expenses; and (iv) to the Department of Housing and Community Development in partnership with the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to administer and implement low-income energy efficiency programs. The bill authorizes any locality using moneys in the Fund to provide a loan for a project in a low-income geographic area to forgive the principal of such loan, with the obligation of the locality to repay the loan remaining in effect. The bill also provides that if the Governor seeks to include the Commonwealth as a full participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the regulations shall require that certain purchasers be responsible for obtaining allowances under certain agreements. The bill authorizes the costs of allowances to be recovered by Phase I and Phase II Utilities from ratepayers and continues the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund as the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund for the purpose of creating a low-interest loan program to help inland and coastal communities that are subject to recurrent or repetitive flooding. This bill incorporates HB 20 and HB 1152 and is identical to SB 1027.

Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act; fund. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to incorporate into regulations previously adopted by the State Air Pollution Control Board certain provisions establishing a carbon dioxide cap and trade program to reduce emissions released by electric generation facilities. Such provisions are required to comply with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative model rule. The bill authorizes the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to establish, implement, and manage an auction program to sell allowances into a market-based trading program. The bill requires revenues from the sale of carbon allowances, to the extent permitted by Article X, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia, to be deposited in an interest-bearing account and to be distributed without further appropriation (i) to the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund, (ii) to the Department of Housing and Community Development for low-income energy efficiency programs, (iii) for administrative expenses, and (iv) for statewide climate change planning and mitigation activities. The bill continues the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund as the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund for the purpose of creating a low-interest loan program to help inland and coastal communities that are subject to recurrent flooding. This bill incorporates HB 20 and HB 1152.

Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act; fund. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality to incorporate into regulations previously adopted by the State Air Pollution Control Board certain provisions establishing a carbon dioxide cap and trade program to reduce emissions released by electric generation facilities. Such provisions are required to comply with the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative model rule. The bill authorizes the Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to establish, implement, and manage an auction program to sell allowances into a market-based trading program. The bill requires revenues from the sale of carbon allowances, to the extent permitted by Article X, Section 7 of the Constitution of Virginia, to be deposited in an interest-bearing account and to be distributed without further appropriation (i) to the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund; (ii) to the Department of Housing and Community Development for low-income energy efficiency programs; (iii) for administrative expenses; and (iv) to the Department of Housing and Community Development in partnership with the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy to administer and implement low-income energy efficiency programs. The bill continues the Virginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund as the Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund for the purpose of creating a low-interest loan program to help inland and coastal communities that are subject to recurrent or repetitive flooding. The bill authorizes the Authority to pledge the assets of the Fund as security for any bonds issued to finance flood prevention or protection projects and directs the Authority to manage the Fund in accordance with a memorandum of agreement with the Department. The bill also authorizes any locality using moneys in the Fund to provide a loan for a project in a low-income geographic area to forgive the principal of such loan, with the obligation of the locality to repay the loan remaining in effect. The bill provides that if the Governor seeks to include the Commonwealth as a full participant in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, the regulations shall require that certain purchasers be responsible for obtaining allowances under certain agreements. The measure authorizes the costs of allowances to be recovered by Phase I and Phase II Utilities from ratepayers. This bill incorporates HB 20 and HB 1152 and is identical to SB 1027.

Clean Energy and Community Flood PreparednessAct; fund. Directs the Department of Environmental Quality toincorporate into regulations previously adopted by the State AirPollution Control Board certain provisions establishing a carbondioxide cap and trade program to reduce emissions released by electricgeneration facilities. Such provisions are required to comply withthe Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative model rule. The bill authorizesthe Director of the Department of Environmental Quality to establish,implement, and manage an auction program to sell allowances intoa market-based trading program. The bill requires revenues from thesale of carbon allowances, to the extent permitted by Article X, Section7 of the Constitution of Virginia, to be deposited in an interest-bearingaccount and to be distributed without further appropriation (i) tothe Virginia Community Flood Preparedness Fund, (ii) to the Departmentof Mines, Minerals and Energy for low-income energy efficiency programs,(iii) for administrative expenses, and (iii) for statewide climatechange planning and mitigation activities. The bill continues theVirginia Shoreline Resiliency Fund as the Virginia Community FloodPreparedness Fund for the purpose of creating a low-interest loanprogram to help inland and coastal communities that are subject torecurrent flooding.