<?xml version="1.0"?>
<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>57550</law_id><section_number>45.2-1717</section_number><catch_line>(Effective until July 1, 2029) Definitions</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="45.2">Mines, Minerals, and Energy</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="V">Other Sources of Energy; Energy Policy</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="17">Other Sources of Energy Generally; Energy Policy</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="6">Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development Authority</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>As used in this article, unless the context requires a different meaning:
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Authority</span>&#x201D; means the Southwest Virginia Energy Research and Development <span class="dictionary">Authority</span> established pursuant to this article.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Coal mine methane</span>&#x201D; means methane gas captured and produced from an underground gob area associated with a mined-out coal seam that would otherwise escape into the atmosphere.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Developer</span>&#x201D; means any private <span class="dictionary">developer</span> of an <span class="dictionary">energy development project</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Energy development project</span>&#x201D; means any activity that generates, produces, or stores energy, any energy efficiency system, and any supporting ancillary activities located within Southwest Virginia and includes interests in land, improvements, and ancillary facilities and research, development, commercialization, and deployment activities designated by the <span class="dictionary">Authority</span> to the <span class="dictionary">nonprofit collaborative</span>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Nonprofit collaborative</span>&#x201D; means a multi-site nonprofit innovative energy technology testbed established as a collaborative effort of the <span class="dictionary">Department</span> of Energy, the <span class="dictionary">Authority</span>, and the <span class="dictionary">Authority</span>&#x2019;s business partners to support the <span class="dictionary">Authority</span>&#x2019;s purpose through energy technology research, development, commercialization, and deployment.
		&#x201C;Southwest Virginia&#x201D; means the region of the Commonwealth designated as Southwest Virginia in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Southwest Virginia Public Education Consortium created; region defined; governing board" href="/22.1-350/">22.1-350</a>.
		&#x201C;<span class="dictionary">Southwest Virginia Energy Park</span>&#x201D; means the <span class="dictionary">nonprofit collaborative</span>.</p></section></text><history>2019, cc. 555, 556, &#xA7; 67-1600; 2021, Sp. Sess. I, c. 387; 2023, cc. 720, 721.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
