Bill expanding Virginia’s underground electric transmission line program clears House and Senate

A bill sponsored by State Del. JJ Singh to expand Virginia’s pilot project for underground electric transmission lines and revise related approval standards has been approved in both the House and Senate, the Virginia State House reports.

The legislation was enrolled as of March 30, 2026, following final passage by votes of 62-36 in the House and 27-13 in the Senate.

Brought forth as HB1487 on Jan. 23, 2026, during the 2026 regular session, the state legislature’s summary reads: “Underground transmission lines; pilot program, clarifies qualifying projects, report.”

This overview synthesizes details from the official bill text, with added explanation where helpful.

The proposed changes raise the number of qualifying underground transmission projects from two to four and adjust the requirements for their consideration. It empowers the State Corporation Commission to approve undergrounding of certain lines (from 69 to 230 kilovolts) that are submitted between July 1, 2025, and July 1, 2033, enabling faster review and a more limited analysis. The bill revises standards relating to technical requirements, cost ceilings, and requires resolutions of support from local governments citing electric reliability or economic development benefits. Regular annual reports and a conclusive report are mandated by December 1, 2033. Localities may contribute up to 50% of underground costs, with a new utility levy on local electric consumers as an option.

In the House, the measure saw support from 62 Democrats, with one Democrat joining 35 Republicans in opposition.

On the Senate side, 21 Democrats and 6 Republicans voted for the measure; 13 Republicans voted no.

Principal sponsors included Del. JJ Singh (Democrat-26th District), Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (Democrat-32nd District), and Del. Stacey Annie Carroll (Democrat-64th District), with four additional co-sponsors.

Singh earned his BA from the University of Virginia in 2002 and completed further studies at Harvard Business School in 2010.

Singh, a Democrat, assumed his seat representing Virginia’s 26th District in 2025, succeeding Kannan Srinivasan in the House.

Virginia’s legislative process starts when a member introduces a bill in either chamber. It undergoes review in committee before advancing for full votes. Both chambers must pass the measure; it is then sent to the governor, who can approve, reject, or allow the bill to become law without signing. Regular sessions begin each January as lawmakers vote on hundreds of proposals—but only a subset pass each year.

Information in this article was obtained from the Virginia State House. The source data can be found here.