Individual facility above 5 MW
An individual nonresidential customer whose noncoincident peak demand during the most recent calendar year exceeded five megawatts may qualify to shop generation supply, subject to the statute’s conditions.
Virginia commercial electric choice changed in 2026
Does your Virginia facility qualify for competitive electricity supply?
If a nonresidential facility served by Dominion Energy Virginia or Appalachian Power exceeded 5 MW of noncoincident peak demand during the most recent calendar year, it may qualify to purchase generation supply from a licensed competitive supplier under Virginia Code §56-577.
> 5 MWDirect-choice threshold for qualifying individual nonresidential customers
18 monthsAdvance notice generally required to return to incumbent supply
12 monthsMinimum stay after a customer returns to incumbent supply
Utility staysLocal utility continues delivery, wires, meters and outage response
Three Virginia pathways worth checking
Virginia is a hybrid market, not blanket deregulation. The right first step is to identify which statutory path—if any—fits the account.
Two or more smaller customers
Customers whose individual demand did not exceed 5 MW may petition the Virginia SCC to aggregate their demands. Aggregation is not automatic; Commission approval and a public-interest finding are required.
100% renewable supply
Virginia law also contains a separate 100% renewable-energy choice pathway when statutory conditions are met, including the incumbent utility tariff condition.
Important: Under §56-577, residential customers and nonresidential customers at or below 150 kW are not eligible to purchase electric energy from a licensed supplier under this section. We verify the account before recommending a path.
What changes—and what does not
Competitive supply changes the generation-supply relationship. Your local utility remains responsible for regulated delivery and reliability.
Your local utility
Dominion Energy Virginia or Appalachian Power continues regulated delivery service, metering, physical grid maintenance and outage response.
Competitive supplier
If eligible and you choose to proceed, a licensed supplier provides the competitive generation-supply product under the contract you authorize.
Solutions Energy
We help qualify the account, gather usage information, structure the request for pricing, compare offers and explain commercial terms. Supplier availability varies by territory and customer class.
Our procurement process
The goal is not to “switch” you quickly. The goal is to determine whether the competitive market is available and economically worth pursuing.
1
Bill & eligibility review
We review the bill, utility, service address, rate class and available demand information. If more load data is needed, we tell you exactly what to obtain.
2
Usage & market check
For apparently eligible accounts, we gather authorized usage/interval data and determine which licensed market participants can serve the account.
3
Compare before committing
You receive a side-by-side commercial comparison. You decide whether any offer is worth accepting. No switch occurs without authorization.
Virginia commercial natural gas is a separate opportunity
Virginia’s SCC also recognizes competitive natural-gas choice for customers in the service territories of Columbia Gas of Virginia and Washington Gas Light. Gas eligibility, supplier availability and contract economics are reviewed separately from HB 921 electricity eligibility.
Submit a Gas Bill for ReviewStart with one utility bill
You do not need to know your peak demand, rate code or contract structure. Send what you have; we’ll determine the next useful step.
Common questions
Does changing electricity supplier change reliability?
No. The Virginia SCC states that the local utility remains the local distribution company responsible for delivery and service interruptions. Competitive supply concerns the supply portion, subject to eligibility and contract terms.
Can several locations simply add their loads together to reach 5 MW?
No. Virginia law provides an aggregation petition route for qualifying nonresidential customers, but Commission approval is required after notice and an opportunity for hearing. It is not automatic multi-site qualification.
What happens if an eligible customer later wants to return to incumbent supply?
The 2026 law generally requires 18 months’ advance written notice, subject to statutory exceptions, and imposes a 12-month minimum stay after returning.
Do I need to know whether my facility exceeded 5 MW?
No. Send a recent bill. We will identify what the bill proves, what it does not, and what additional authorized load data may be needed.
Official references: Virginia Code §56-577 (2026 updated section) and Virginia State Corporation Commission guidance on choosing an energy supplier and licensed competitive service providers. Regulatory status and supplier availability can change; account-specific eligibility is confirmed before solicitation.