Virginia’s energy future is now in Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s hands. With the General Assembly session concluded, lawmakers have done their part passing critical legislation to lower energy costs, strengthen our grid and put Virginians in control of their own power. Now, it’s time for the governor to seal the deal by signing the Distributed Generation Expansion Act (House Bill 1883 and Senate Bill 1040) and the Community Energy Act (HB2346 and SB1100) into law.

These bills, together known as the Community Access to Renewable Energy (CARE) package, are a commonsense step toward making our energy system more reliable and affordable. These bills make it easier for homeowners, small businesses and local communities to generate and store their own energy — keeping the lights on, the costs down, and energy dollars right here in the commonwealth.

Let’s be real: Nobody likes paying high energy bills. But when we rely too much on expensive, out-of-state power, that’s exactly what we get. The Distributed Generation Expansion Act fixes that by letting more small-scale solar and wind projects come online by increasing the total cap from 1 megawatt to 3 megawatts, and eventually up to 5 megawatts. This means more solar panels on rooftops and more clean energy built on parking lots. The bill also allows for more projects to be built on brownfields and landfills that aren’t being used for anything else. And because these projects are local, they avoid costly transmission fees and delays, making energy more affordable for everyone.

On top of that, this bill clears away outdated regulations that block Virginians from using power purchase agreements (PPAs) to finance solar projects. That’s a no-brainer, giving homeowners, schools and small businesses a way to invest in clean energy without breaking the bank. More solar means more competition in the energy market, and more competition means lower costs for all consumers.

The Community Energy Act gives homeowners a way to directly contribute to the energy needs of their community. The bill creates a voluntary program allowing communities to aggregate small energy resources — such as rooftop solar and battery storage — to help meet peak demand. That means less stress on the grid, fewer blackouts and lower costs for everyone. It also allows businesses and homeowners to participate in managing their energy use, which strengthens the overall reliability of our grid.

The bill also prioritizes low-income households, making sure that every Virginian gets to benefit from cheaper, cleaner energy. By increasing upfront incentives, this bill ensures that everyone has access to energy savings, not just those who can afford the upfront costs. And the best part? We can start seeing the benefits to Virginia’s energy grid today — not 10 years from now.

The General Assembly has done the hard work of getting these bills to the finish line. Now, it’s up to Youngkin to decide: Will he embrace policies that ease the burden of rising energy bills, increase grid reliability and create local jobs? Or will Virginia double down on an outdated energy system that keeps costs high and communities dependent on out-of-state power?

Signing the CARE package into law is a win for Virginia families, businesses and the economy. We have the tools to build a cleaner, cheaper and more reliable energy future. The governor just needs to make it official.