RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Backed by an
ongoing $1 billion investment,
Dominion Energy has grown its solar fleet in Virginia and North
Carolina over the last two years from near zero to
approximately 1,350 megawatts in service, in construction or under
development. That is enough clean energy to power nearly 340,000
homes during peak sunshine.
Dominion Energy's solar fleet is ranked the sixth largest among
owners of U.S. electric utilities, and according to the Solar
Energy Industries Association, Virginia also is sixth in climbing the state
rankings for solar energy.
"It's not just about Dominion Energy meeting its clean energy
goals, it's also about helping our customers achieve theirs," said
Paul Koonce, president and CEO of
Dominion Energy's Power Generation Group. "We have a responsibility
to offer the right programs, resources and solutions so our
customers can make smart decisions about their energy future, and
the key is we're doing it together."
The company's ever-expanding solar portfolio has provided an
economic boost to the counties where the solar facilities are
located. During construction, Dominion-developed projects have
created 4,300 jobs in Virginia and
North Carolina. Once operational,
the projects are expected to generate more than $39 million annually in local economic
impact.
Dominion Energy's long-term energy forecast calls for another
5,200 MW of new solar generation in the next 25 years, enough to
power 1.3 million homes at peak output.
Here is how it's being accomplished:
In Virginia
- There are 27 solar generating facilities on 4,683 acres, which
equates to about 444 MW of solar capacity either in operation or
under development in the Commonwealth.
- The construction of another 300 MW of solar is planned to
support Facebook's eighth data center in the U.S., to be located in
Henrico County.
- As part of its Solar Partnership Program, company-owned rooftop
or ground-mounted solar arrays are installed on
leased commercial properties, such as Philip Morris, Capital
One, Prologis, Canon, Merck and various educational
institutions.
- Large-scale solar facilities up to 100 MW in size are sprinkled
across the state and are done in partnership with the Commonwealth
of Virginia, the U.S. Navy,
University of Virginia, Microsoft and
Amazon.
- Residential customers are participating in a private solar
program that allows them to offset their energy usage with their
own rooftop solar generating system.
In North
Carolina
- There are 13 projects totaling 353 MW that Dominion Energy has
brought or is bringing online in North
Carolina by 2019. Additionally, there are 82 projects
owned by third-party developers that are operating or being
developed totaling 550 MW.
"More and more companies have set their own goals for renewable
energy and we will back them," Koonce said. "Our programs are
intended to meet their needs and help strengthen Virginia's reputation as the ideal place to do
business."
Dominion Energy is seeking State Corporation Commission approval
for a 100 percent renewable energy option for residential and small
commercial and industrial customers, as well as an option for
business customers to purchase renewable generation equal to a
specific portion of their energy usage. In addition, once approved,
the Community Solar Pilot Program will enable customers in
Virginia to voluntarily purchase
renewable energy from locally-sited solar installations to meet a
portion of their needs.
The company is currently engaged in plans for a power grid
modernization initiative. A smart energy grid will enable the
company to seamlessly connect with cleaner energy resources,
including private solar and other local generation sources.
Nationally, Dominion Energy has nearly 2,700 megawatts of solar
generating capacity in operation or under development in nine
states, including offtake agreements for the company's utility
customers.
About Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (NYSE:D) is one
of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with
a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 15,000
miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline,
and 6,600 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion Energy
operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems
with 1 trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than
6 million utility and retail energy customers. For more information
about Dominion Energy, visit the company's website at
www.dominionenergy.com.
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SOURCE Dominion Energy