Solar Interconnection Grant Opportunity

The Solar Interconnection Grant Program, administered by the Virginia Department of Energy under Senate Bill 659 and House Bill 683, provides funding to Virginia public bodies to offset the costs of connecting distributed solar energy systems to the electric grid. With approximately 2 million dollars in total available funding, individual awards are capped at the lesser of 600,000 dollars or 25 percent of the total project cost. Eligible expenses include utility-required infrastructure such as transformers, relays, protection equipment, SCADA/telemetry, metering modifications, and necessary engineering studies. The anticipated period of performance for these projects ranges from 6 to 18 months and must take place at previously developed project sites. Applications must be submitted via the Virginia Energy Grant Portal by October 2, 2026, and are evaluated on a competitive 100-point scale based on merit and overall benefit to the Commonwealth. Required submission materials include a master application document with strict word counts, a budget justification worksheet, an OMB Financial Capabilities Questionnaire, and an Interconnection Study Details form. Awardees must comply with Virginia procurement laws and prevailing wage requirements mirroring federal Davis-Bacon standards. Contract administration requires monthly invoicing by the 15th of each month, quarterly progress reports, and potential retainage of up to 5 percent for construction projects, with final payments subject to internal auditing.