RICHMOND – The State Corporation Commission has scheduled a technical conference to explore the effects of the increasing number of large-use retail electric customers on Virginia’s utilities, ratepayers and power grid.

The December 16, 2024, proceeding will consider current and future challenges presented by the growth of such “hyperscale” power users across the Commonwealth. Large power users such as data centers could bring an “unprecedented” amount of new load for electric utilities, creating complications and risks the utilities have not previously encountered, the Commissioners said. 

The technical conference is intended to identify potential frameworks that facilitate service; address risks and issues of the increased usage; are just and reasonable to current and future customers; and meet current Virginia statutes. In addition, this proceeding may examine, to the extent relevant, issues related to the co-location of generation resources at new large-use customer load sites.
The Commission also identified three main questions to be addressed: 

1. Should the Commission establish a tariff framework and terms of service for these large-scale customers?
2. Should certain transmission costs be directly assigned to a new large-use customer class?
3. Should certain generation costs be directly assigned to a new large-use customer class?

Anyone interested in participating as a panelist should submit a self-nomination by email to tech-conf-PUR-2024-00144@scc.virginia.gov no later than October 22, 2024. All submissions should refer to Case No. PUR-2024-00144. Following the technical conference, it is the Commission's intent to invite all interested persons to submit post-technical conference comments addressing some or all of the issues raised during the technical conference.

The technical conference will be open to the public and streamed as a webcast.

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Contact: Greg Weatherford, 804-371-9141

PUR-2024-00144-Scheduling-Order-and-Notice

RICHMOND – Wandering the rails, freight train hopping or driving around closing gates to beat an oncoming train are best left for movie thrills by Hollywood’s special effects and stunt experts. Such activity is not only extremely dangerous but also illegal.

From September 23-29, 2024, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) joins Operation Lifesaver Inc. (OLI) – a nonprofit organization dedicated to rail safety education – in raising awareness about the need for pedestrians, motorists, bicyclists and others to stay safe around railroad tracks and crossings. See Tracks? Think Train Week (formerly Rail Safety Week) promotes the critical importance of rail safety.

Every three hours in the United States, a person or vehicle is hit by a train, according to OLI. Most of these tragedies could have been prevented.

SCC Division of Utility and Railroad Safety director Lauren Govoni and Virginia OLI coordinator Tracey Lamb encourage Virginians to remain alert, use caution and obey signs and signals around railroad tracks. Always expect a train, they advise.

“Rail safety is much more than just a single tip or slogan,” Govoni said. “It’s a set of guidelines for different groups of people, including children, first responders, media professionals, photographers, personal and professional drivers, and more.”

The SCC will partner with law enforcement and other agencies and organizations to spotlight daily See Tracks? Think Train Week themes that include commuter and transit safety, crossing safety and professional drivers, trespass prevention and photographer safety. Potentially life-saving information will appear on the SCC website and social media pages.

The theme for Thursday, September 26, is Transit Safety/Professional Driver Safety. In conjunction with that, Govoni, Lamb and other SCC staff will join representatives from the Federal Transit Administration, OLI and Virginia Railway Express for a rail passenger safety event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alexandria Amtrak Station. They will be available to answer questions and share rail and transit safety information and visitors will have an opportunity to take the Transit Safety Pledge.

The 82% decrease in collisions nationwide at highway-rail grade crossings during the last 50 years is encouraging, but “there is still more rail safety awareness work to do,” Lamb said. “Trains can take a mile or more to come to a complete stop. If your vehicle ever stalls on the track, get out and move away; then call the phone number on the blue Emergency Notification System sign located at the crossing or call 9-1-1,” she said.

Virginia Operation Lifesaver is administered by the SCC’s Division of Utility and Railroad Safety, which offers educational sessions and can be reached by phone at 804-371-1588. To learn more about railroad safety and railroad education in Virginia, visit scc.virginia.gov/pages/Railroad-Regulation or oli.org.

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Contact: Jordan Bondurant, 804-371-9141