In addition to such other powers and duties established under this chapter, the Authority shall have the power and duty to:

1. Adopt, use, and alter at will an official seal;

2. Make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs;

3. Maintain an office at such place or places within the Commonwealth as it may designate;

4. Accept, hold, and administer moneys, grants, securities, or other property transferred, given, or bequeathed to the Authority, absolutely or in trust, from any source, public or private, for the purposes for which the Authority is created;

5. Make and execute contracts and all other instruments and agreements necessary or convenient for the exercise of its powers and functions;

6. Employ, in its discretion, consultants, attorneys, architects, engineers, accountants, financial experts, investment bankers, superintendents, managers, and such other employees and agents as may be necessary and fix their compensation to be payable from funds made available to the Authority;

7. Invest its funds as permitted by applicable law;

8. Receive and accept from any federal or private agency, foundation, corporation, association, or person grants, donations of money, or real or personal property for the benefit of the Authority, and receive and accept from the Commonwealth or any state, and from any municipality, county, or other political subdivision thereof and any other source, aid or contributions of either money, property, or other things of value, to be held, used, and applied for the purposes for which such grants and contributions may be made;

9. Enter into agreements with any department, agency, or instrumentality of the United States or of the Commonwealth and with lenders and enter into loans with contracting parties for the purpose of planning, regulating, and providing for the financing or assisting in the financing of any project;

10. Do any lawful act necessary or appropriate to carry out the powers herein granted or reasonably implied;

11. Identify and take steps to mitigate existing state and regulatory or administrative barriers to the development of the solar energy and energy storage industries, including facilitating any permitting processes;

12. Enter into interstate partnerships to develop the solar energy industry, solar energy projects, and energy storage projects;

13. Collaborate with entities, including institutions of higher education, to increase the training and development of the workforce needed by the solar and energy storage industries in the Commonwealth, including industry-recognized credentials and certifications;

14. Conduct any other activities as may seem appropriate to increase solar energy generation in the Commonwealth and the associated jobs and economic development and competitiveness benefits, including assisting investor-owned utilities in the planned deployment of at least 400 megawatts of solar energy projects in the Commonwealth by 2020 through entering into agreements in its discretion in any manner provided by law for the purpose of planning and providing for the financing or assisting in the financing of the construction or purchase of such solar energy projects authorized pursuant to § 56-585.1;

15. Promote collaborative efforts among Virginia's public and private institutions of higher education in research, development, and commercialization efforts related to energy storage;

16. Monitor relevant developments in energy storage technology and deployment nationally and globally and disseminate relevant information and research results; and

17. Identify and work with the Commonwealth's industries and nonprofit partners in advancing efforts related to the development and commercialization of energy storage.

2015, cc. 90, 398; 2017, c. 813.