The Virginia Department of Energy’s State Energy Office is administering a new program offering $2 million to help public buildings offset costs of interconnecting new solar projects to the grid, driven by equipment mandates, engineering study expenses, and required grid upgrades.
Eligible public entities can apply for the Solar Interconnection Grant Program from now until October 2, 2026. Funds may be used for equipment and power grid upgrades necessary to support projects, including transformers, relays, direct transfer trip (DTT), SCADA/telemetry, metering modifications, protection equipment, engineering, and other utility-required infrastructure necessary to complete interconnection.
Authorized through the passage of Virginia State Senate Bill 659 and House Bill 683, the Virginia Department of Energy will use this program to better understand the regulatory and technical barriers of solar interconnection and collect data on individual project processes and timelines.
More information about the Solar Interconnection Grant Program can be found here.