– Nine projects with nearly 500 megawatts capacity will power up to 125,000 homes at peak output
– Reliable service remains critical as renewable resources increase
PR Newswire
RICHMOND, Va., Nov. 2, 2020
RICHMOND, Va.
,
Nov. 2, 2020
/PRNewswire/ — Dominion Energy Virginia proposed its largest slate yet of new solar projects as the company moves forward to provide customers with more clean energy. The nine solar facilities would bring nearly 500 megawatts (MW) of new renewable energy to customers, enough to power around 125,000 homes at peak output. The proposal comes just months after enactment of the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) and builds on what is already the third-largest solar portfolio among utility holding companies in
the United States
.
“This filing is another concrete step toward our commitment to bring more renewable energy to
Virginia
and build a clean, sustainable future for our customers and our Commonwealth,” said
Ed Baine
, president – Dominion Energy Virginia. “We are focused on adding significant renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind, over the next 15 years while maintaining our commitment to excellent reliability and delivering an excellent value to our customers.”
Six of the nine new solar projects totaling 416 of the 498 megawatts of energy at peak output are power purchase agreements selected following a competitive solicitation process. This collaborative approach with solar developers contributes to building a clean energy economy in the Commonwealth and helps fulfill the VCEA requirement to have approximately a third of new solar and onshore wind through 2035 be procured through power purchase agreements.
The three utility-owned solar projects are expected to provide over
$100 million
in direct and indirect economic benefits in
Virginia
and will support approximately 750 jobs:
-
Grassfield Solar in the
City of Chesapeake
was acquired from Solar Access Development Group, LLC and Blue Green Energy, LLC and would provide 20 MW at peak output. -
Norge Solar in
James City County
was acquired from Clearway Energy Group and would provide 20 MW at peak output. -
Sycamore Solar in
Pittsylvania County
was acquired from a joint venture between Open Road Renewables, LLC and MAP® Energy, LLC and would provide 42 MW at peak output.
Each of the facilities is under development and subject to approval by the State Corporation Commission before construction begins.
The solar projects proposed today, if approved, will add less than
20-cents
to the typical residential customer’s bill and will be offset in part by fuel savings. These resources will aid Dominion Energy in meeting its obligations under the VCEA’s mandatory renewable portfolio standard (RPS), which generally requires that 100% of its electricity sales in the Commonwealth be sourced from clean energy sources by 2045.
Today’s filing includes Dominion Energy’s RPS Development Plan detailing a strategy for RPS compliance through 2035 and achievement of certain VCEA targets for solar/onshore wind and energy storage development in the same timeframe. The filing also provides projections of long-term cost, together with ways expenses can be reduced, including savings in fuel as traditional energy generation is displaced by renewable energy.
Dominion Energy’s rates are well below the national and east coast averages. In its ongoing 2020
integrated resource plan (IRP)
, Dominion Energy Virginia has projected that over the next decade, the typical residential customer’s monthly bill will increase by about 3 percent on a compound annual basis, using year-end 2019 as the starting point. The company stands by this assessment; of that amount, approximately half is attributable to RPS-related projects and initiatives. The premise of the 2020 RPS Development Plan’s projection differs in that it represents the incremental bill impact of projects related to the RPS Program rather than total customer bills.
On
October 9
, Dominion Energy Virginia
issued a new RFP
soliciting bids for small-scale solar projects up to 3 MW in size.
Another RFP
for large-scale solar, onshore wind and energy storage projects is currently underway and a
request for information (RFI)
to purchase or lease land suitable for large-scale solar development was released in August. These initiatives will help inform the Company’s future renewable energy filings and help meet renewable energy goals.
Solar generation is a vital part of Dominion Energy’s comprehensive clean energy strategy to meet standards outlined in the VCEA and to achieve the companywide commitment to net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions by 2050. The company recently completed construction of the first offshore wind turbines in federal waters and is making progress on development of the largest offshore wind project in the Americas. This expansion of renewable energy development will give Virginians significant access to more renewable energy and create thousands of clean energy jobs.
About Dominion Energy
More than
7 million customers in 20 states
energize their homes and businesses with electricity or natural gas from Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va. The company is
committed to sustainable, reliable, affordable and safe energy
and to achieving net zero carbon dioxide and methane emissions from its power generation and gas infrastructure operations by 2050. Please visit
DominionEnergy.com
to learn more.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy Virginia
