{"formats":[{"name":"JSON","format":"json","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-json\/56-597.json"},{"name":"Plain Text","format":"text","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-text\/56-597.txt"},{"name":"XML","format":"xml","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-xml\/56-597.xml"},{"name":"HTML","format":"html","url":"\/downloads\/2026\/code-html\/56-597.html"}],"law_id":370677,"edition_id":2,"section_id":370677,"structure_id":52786,"section_number":"56-597","catch_line":"(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions","history":"2008, cc. 476, 603; 2023, cc. 749, 776; 2024, c. 532; 2025, c. 551.","full_text":"As used in this chapter:\n\n“Advanced conductors” means high-temperature low-sag hardware technology that can conduct electricity across transmission lines and that demonstrates enhanced performance over traditional conductor products. “Advanced conductors” includes aluminum conductor composite core, aluminum conductor steel supported, aluminum conductor composite reinforced, thermal-resistant aluminum alloy conductor, and any similar technologies.\n\n“Affiliate” means a person that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with an electric utility.\n\n“Electric utility” means any investor-owned public utility that provides electric energy for use by retail customers, except investor-owned utilities subject to the provisions of \u00a7 56-585.8.\n\n“Grid-enhancing technologies” means a set of technologies that maximize the transmission of electricity across the electric distribution grid in a manner that ensures grid reliability and safeguards the cybersecurity and physical security of the electric distribution grid, including storage as a transmission asset, dynamic line rating, power flow control, and topology optimization.\n\n“Integrated resource plan” or “IRP” means a document developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations by supply side and demand side resources over the ensuing 15 years to promote reasonable prices, reliable service, energy independence, and environmental responsibility.\n\n“Retail customer” means any person that purchases retail electric energy for its own consumption at one or more metering points or non-metered points of delivery located in the Commonwealth.\n\n","order_by":null,"text":{"0":{"id":1382911,"text":"As used in this chapter:","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"next_prefix":""},"1":{"id":1382912,"text":"“Advanced conductors” means high-temperature low-sag hardware technology that can conduct electricity across transmission lines and that demonstrates enhanced performance over traditional conductor products. “Advanced conductors” includes aluminum conductor composite core, aluminum conductor steel supported, aluminum conductor composite reinforced, thermal-resistant aluminum alloy conductor, and any similar technologies.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"2":{"id":1382913,"text":"“Affiliate” means a person that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with an electric utility.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"3":{"id":1382914,"text":"“Electric utility” means any investor-owned public utility that provides electric energy for use by retail customers, except investor-owned utilities subject to the provisions of \u00a7 56-585.8.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"4":{"id":1382915,"text":"“Grid-enhancing technologies” means a set of technologies that maximize the transmission of electricity across the electric distribution grid in a manner that ensures grid reliability and safeguards the cybersecurity and physical security of the electric distribution grid, including storage as a transmission asset, dynamic line rating, power flow control, and topology optimization.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"5":{"id":1382916,"text":"“Integrated resource plan” or “IRP” means a document developed by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations by supply side and demand side resources over the ensuing 15 years to promote reasonable prices, reliable service, energy independence, and environmental responsibility.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":"","next_prefix":""},"6":{"id":1382917,"text":"“Retail customer” means any person that purchases retail electric energy for its own consumption at one or more metering points or non-metered points of delivery located in the Commonwealth.","type":"section","prefixes":[""],"prefix":"","entire_prefix":"","prefix_anchor":"","level":1,"prior_prefix":""}},"ancestry":[{"id":52786,"edition_id":2,"name":"Electric Utility Integrated Resource Planning","identifier":"24","label":"chapter","depth":2,"order_by":13,"parent_id":52702,"metadata":{"child_laws":3,"child_structures":0},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:04:50","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:39","permalink":{"id":1477861,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52786,"identifier":"24","token":"56\/24","url":"\/56\/24\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}},{"id":52702,"edition_id":2,"name":"Public Service Companies","identifier":"56","label":"title","depth":1,"order_by":121,"parent_id":null,"metadata":{"child_laws":710,"child_structures":93},"date_created":"2026-08-02 03:03:25","date_modified":"2026-08-02 12:35:34","permalink":{"id":1475475,"object_type":"structure","relational_id":52702,"identifier":"56","token":"56","url":"\/56\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1}}],"structure_contents":[{"id":370677,"structure_id":52786,"section_number":"56-597","catch_line":"(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions","url":"\/56-597\/","token":"56\/24\/56-597","metadata":false},{"id":370678,"structure_id":52786,"section_number":"56-598","catch_line":" Contents of integrated resource plans","url":"\/56-598\/","token":"56\/24\/56-598","metadata":false},{"id":370679,"structure_id":52786,"section_number":"56-599","catch_line":"Integrated resource plan required","url":"\/56-599\/","token":"56\/24\/56-599","metadata":false}],"next_section":{"id":370678,"structure_id":52786,"section_number":"56-598","catch_line":" Contents of integrated resource plans","url":"\/56-598\/","token":"56\/24\/56-598","metadata":false},"metadata":false,"official_url":"https:\/\/law.lis.virginia.gov\/vacode\/56-597\/","history_text":"

This law was first created in 2008. The record of its establishment is cataloged in chapters 476<\/a> and 603<\/a> of that year\u2019s edition of \u201cActs of Assembly,\u201d the annual state publication listing all changes made to the Code of Virginia in that year. It has been modified 3 times. Those modifications are cataloged by \u201cThe Acts of Assembly,\u201d a state publication, by year and chapter. Those modifications that can be read on the General Assembly\u2019s website will be linked accordingly. Those modifications are as follows: in 2023, chapters 749<\/a> and 776<\/a>; in 2024, chapter 532<\/a>; in 2025, chapter 551<\/a>.<\/p>","references":false,"refers_to":[{"id":370645,"section_number":"56-585.8","catch_line":"Biennial rate reviews","order_by":null,"url":"\/56-585.8\/"}],"permalink":{"id":1477863,"object_type":"law","relational_id":370677,"identifier":"56-597","token":"56\/24\/56-597","url":"\/56-597\/","edition_id":2,"permalink":0,"preferred":1},"url":"\/56-597\/","token":"56\/24\/56-597","dublin_core":{"Title":"(Effective January 1, 2026) Definitions","Type":"Text","Format":"text\/html","Identifier":"\u00a7 56-597","Relation":"Code of Virginia"},"html":"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t

As used in this chapter:<\/p>

“Advanced conductors<\/span>” means high-temperature low-sag hardware technology that can conduct electricity across transmission lines and that demonstrates enhanced performance over traditional conductor products. “Advanced conductors<\/span>” includes aluminum conductor composite core, aluminum conductor steel supported, aluminum conductor composite reinforced, thermal-resistant aluminum alloy conductor, and any similar technologies.<\/p>

“Affiliate<\/span>” means a person<\/span> that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with an electric utility<\/span>.<\/p>

“Electric utility<\/span>” means any investor-owned public utility that provides electric energy for use by retail customers<\/span>, except investor-owned utilities subject to the provisions of \u00a7 56-585.8<\/a>.<\/p>

“Grid-enhancing technologies<\/span>” means a set of technologies that maximize the transmission of electricity across the electric distribution grid in a manner that ensures grid reliability and safeguards the cybersecurity and physical security of the electric distribution grid, including storage as a transmission asset, dynamic line rating, power flow control, and topology optimization.<\/p>

“Integrated resource plan<\/span>” or “IRP<\/span>” means a document developed by an electric utility<\/span> that provides a forecast of its load obligations and a plan to meet those obligations by supply side and demand side resources over the ensuing 15 years to promote reasonable prices, reliable service, energy independence, and environmental responsibility.<\/p>

“Retail customer<\/span>” means any person<\/span> that purchases retail electric energy for its own consumption at one or more metering points or non-metered points of delivery located in the Commonwealth.<\/p><\/section>","plain_text":" CODE OF VIRGINIA\n\n(EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1, 2026) DEFINITIONS (\u00a7 56-597)\n\nAs used in this chapter:\n\n“Advanced conductors” means high-temperature low-sag hardware\ntechnology that can conduct electricity across transmission lines and that\ndemonstrates enhanced performance over traditional conductor products.\n“Advanced conductors” includes aluminum conductor composite core,\naluminum conductor steel supported, aluminum conductor composite reinforced,\nthermal-resistant aluminum alloy conductor, and any similar technologies.\n\n“Affiliate” means a person that controls, is controlled by, or is\nunder common control with an electric utility.\n\n“Electric utility” means any investor-owned public utility that\nprovides electric energy for use by retail customers, except investor-owned\nutilities subject to the provisions of \u00a7 56-585.8.\n\n“Grid-enhancing technologies” means a set of technologies that\nmaximize the transmission of electricity across the electric distribution grid\nin a manner that ensures grid reliability and safeguards the cybersecurity and\nphysical security of the electric distribution grid, including storage as a\ntransmission asset, dynamic line rating, power flow control, and topology\noptimization.\n\n“Integrated resource plan” or “IRP” means a document\ndeveloped by an electric utility that provides a forecast of its load\nobligations and a plan to meet those obligations by supply side and demand side\nresources over the ensuing 15 years to promote reasonable prices, reliable\nservice, energy independence, and environmental responsibility.\n\n“Retail customer” means any person that purchases retail electric\nenergy for its own consumption at one or more metering points or non-metered\npoints of delivery located in the Commonwealth.\n\nHISTORY: 2008, cc. 476, 603; 2023, cc. 749, 776; 2024, c. 532; 2025, c. 551.","edition":{"id":2,"name":"2026","slug":"2026","date_created":"2026-07-16 18:40:23","date_modified":"2026-08-02 15:14:36","current":1,"order_by":2,"last_import":"2026-08-02 12:37:30"}}