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HB1925 from the 2021 General Assembly established the Virginia Brownfield and Coal Mine Renewable Energy Grant Fund and Program (the Fund and Program). The Fund and Program will be administered by Virginia Energy for the purpose of awarding grants to renewable energy projects that are located on brownfields or previously coal mined lands. Grants are to be awarded on a basis of $500 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on previously coal mined lands and $100 per kilowatt of nameplate capacity from renewable energy sources that are located on brownfields.
No more than $10 million shall be awarded to any previously coal mined lands project and no more than $5 million to any single brownfield project. No more than $35 million shall be allocated per year by the grant program. Of the $35 million, $20 million shall be reserved for previously coal mined lands projects. If less than $20 million is distributed to such projects, the remaining funds may be reallocated to brownfield projects. A source of funding has not yet been identified for the Program.
The bill also directs Virginia Energy to develop a handbook for renewable energy and energy storage development on brownfields and previously coal mined lands by July 1, 2022. A draft copy of the report can be found here. Virginia Energy is accepting public comments on the report until May 23 rd , 2022. If you would like to submit comments, please send them to nick.polier@energy.virginia.gov.
