Rooftop solar panels like the one shown here help generate electricity after Hurricane Maria destroyed much of the island’s electrical infrastructure. (Photo by Aaron Such/Solar United Neighbors)
With Democrats in full control of the General Assembly and Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger poised to take office, lawmakers are reviving familiar proposals they hope will eventually win the governor’s signature. The most important of which are bills aimed at expanding the use of renewable energy and strengthening Virginia’s clean energy workforce.
Sen. Jennifer Carroll Foy, D-Prince William, has filed the request Senate Bill 26which would allow localities to require developers to build sun canopies over parking lots as part of their development ordinances.
“I think solar canopies could go a long way in ensuring that we have more accessible space for solar energy and to convince developers, not just suburban, but rural areas as well, to do their part to help us expand into more clean energy,” Carroll Foy said.
The requirement would only apply to non-residential parking lots with more than 100 spaces, and localities could impose canopies on up to 50% of the lot space, according to the bill. It also gives localities the flexibility to waive this requirement if the additional cost would prevent companies from building initial projects.
Carol Foy said she wants to give individual counties more tools to help the state meet the goals of the Virginia Clean Economy Act while getting as many kilowatts on the grid as possible without sacrificing farmland for utility-scale solar projects.
“I think this is low hanging fruit,” Carroll Foy said. “If we can put as many solar panels as possible on top of schools, on top of parking lots, on space that is available but unusable for anything else, I think that makes perfect sense, and it helps us preserve our farmland.”
A similar measure was passed by the General Assembly during the 2025 regular session, but Gov. Glenn Youngkin objected to it, Arguing that solar energy in parking lots is too expensive and that “if it were economically viable, developers would already be incorporating it into their projects.”
Across the aisle, Delores Oats, R-Warren, is introducing a bill that would allow small solar panels that plug directly into a home outlet and can be installed on a porch without a utility contract. The goal is to help homeowners offset some of their electricity use when they are unable to participate in rooftop solar programs.
“Right now, solar is something you can only do if you own a home and have the right kind of roof,” Oates said. “This bill opens the door to everyone else: apartment dwellers, apartment owners, people who live in tree-shaded homes. It’s a simple change that helps a lot of people.”
Small portable panels cost between $600 to $1,200 and can offset an estimated $10 to $20 on utility bills, according to Oates.
Carroll Foy is also once again seeking to bolster Virginia’s offshore wind workforce Senate Bill 25.
Even though the Trump administration has pulled funding for several offshore wind projects, a major Dominion Energy project off the coast of Virginia remains on track to come online in 2026. Carol Foy said she wants to ensure workers are trained for the offshore wind sector and the broader renewable energy industry.
“Unfortunately, we have a federal administration and we have some Republicans who don’t believe in the climate crisis, but I believe in backed science, not science fiction,” Carroll Foy said. “And whatever we can do to ensure that we can continue to build our clean energy projects, while also putting Virginians to work and addressing any shortages that we may have in this industry or at the Department of Energy, that is exactly what we want to do.”
The bill directs the Virginia Department of Energy to create training programs for the offshore wind industry and prioritize veterans, local workers, and underserved communities.
Yongkin He vetoed the same bill last year, saying that rising project costs and project cancellations made additional investment in the workforce unwise.
The bills will be debated during the 2026 regular session, which begins Jan. 14.