The State Corporation Commission approved Dominion Energy’s plans to add nine new solar facilities to its grid, the largest assemblage of new solar power in Virginia history.
The solar plants will be able to generate nearly 500 megawatts, which is enough to power 125,000 homes when the sun is shining.
Dominion will own and operate three plants, and has formal agreements to buy power from another six.
The energy firm’s own plants include a 20 megawatt solar facility at Norge — in James City County — and another 20 megawatt facility in Chesapeake.
Dominion will also purchase power from the 20 megawatt Pleasant Hill Solar Project in Suffolk, the 118 megawatt Chesapeake Solar Project in Chesapeake and the 170 megawatt Cavalier Solar Project in Isle of Wight and Surry counties. The other facilities are in western and Southside Virginia.
The SCC approved allowing Dominion to collect just under $10.4 million from all its ratepayers in the year ahead to cover the cost of the facilities, to take effect June 1. That translates to 19 cents a month for a typical residential rate-payer.
“We are excited to move forward with the largest group of new solar projects in Virginia history,” said Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia.
“Simultaneously, we’re seeking proposals for new renewable energy projects that will accelerate progress toward meeting the goals of the Virginia Clean Economy Act. These are major steps forward in building a clean energy economy for our customers and achieving net zero emissions.”
Dominion is seeking proposals for up to 1,000 megawatts of solar and onshore wind, either by buying developers’ projects or through power purchase agreements. Projects must be able to generate more than 3 megawatts and be located in Virginia.
The company is also seeking smaller projects, for less than 3 megawatts each. It wants to see a total of 80 megawatts of these smaller projects that could be ready by 2023 and 95 megawatts that could be ready in 2024.
Dominion is also looking for up to 8 megawatts for its community solar pilot program. These must be for 2 megawatts or less.
“The proposals we’re seeking today are another major step forward,” Baine said. “They will bring more clean energy to our customers, more small-scale projects to our communities and more clean energy jobs to our economy.”
Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com
