Virginia Law

These regulations are promulgated pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 9.1 (§ 56-231.15 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia, and apply to Utility Consumer Services Cooperatives and Utility Aggregation Cooperatives subject to the provisions thereof. Section 56-231.34:1, applicable to Utility Consumer Services Cooperatives, and § 56-231.50:1, applicable to Utility Aggregation Cooperatives, address relations between cooperatives engaged in regulated utility services and their affiliates that are engaged in businesses that are not regulated utility services.

These statutory provisions direct the Virginia State Corporation Commission to promulgate regulations governing the conduct of cooperatives for the purpose of promoting effective and fair competition between such cooperatives' affiliates and other persons engaged in the same or similar businesses that are not regulated utility services. Additionally, these statutes direct the Virginia State Corporation Commission to establish codes of conduct detailing permissible relationships between such cooperatives and their affiliates. In establishing these codes, the commission is directed to address, among other things, the sharing of customer information between such cooperatives and affiliates; affiliate use of cooperative name, logo or trademarks; and sharing of vehicles, office space and employees by such cooperatives and affiliates.

These regulations are in addition to and do not limit the applicability of other provisions of the Code of Virginia and the Virginia Administrative Code, including, but not limited to, Chapter 4 (§ 56-76 et seq.) of Title 56 of the Code of Virginia, and Chapter 311 (20VAC5-311-10 et seq.) of Title 20 of the Virginia Administrative Code.