Dominion Energy Virginia has proposed a slate of new solar projects as the company moves forward to provide customers with more clean energy.
The nine solar facilities would bring nearly 500 MW of new renewable energy to customers. The proposal comes just months after the 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 U.S.
“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,” says Ed Baine, president of 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 value to our customers.”
Six of the nine new solar projects – totaling 416 of the 498 MW 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 Virginia 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 proposed solar projects, 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 state be sourced from clean energy sources by 2045.
Dominion Energy Virginia recently 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.
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