Dominion Energy’s continued reliance on fossil fuels shows disregard for Virginia’s clean energy requirements

Utility’s IRP seeks solutions that would stall clean energy transition

CONTACT
Tasha Durrett, SELC Communications, 571-405-1101, tdurrett@selcva.org
Dan Radmacher, Appalachian Voices Communications, 540-798-6683, dan@appvoices.org

RICHMOND, VA. — Today Dominion Energy filed its Integrated Resource Plan, better known as its IRP, calling for more gas-powered electricity.

The plan fails to model investments in renewables at the level needed to move us to a zero-carbon grid and instead relies on retaining the company’s current fossil fuel fleet through 2039.

Just last year as part of its planning process, Dominion provided five alternative plans, all of which significantly increased carbon emissions at least through 2039, and most of which did not comply with Dominion’s own public commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

The Southern Environmental Law Center represented Appalachian Voices in the matter in 2023 and will again this year at the State Corporation Commission.

In response to the IRP, SELC and Appalachian Voices released the following statements.

“Dominion is fond of the phrase ‘increasingly clean,’ but here the company publishes a plan that would retire none of its polluting fossil fuel units and instead build nearly 6 gigawatts of new methane gas generation over the next 15 years. The utility has to get serious about modeling a system that keeps the lights on while actually creating a path to net zero. Virginians deserve to know that their monopoly utility is working to build a grid that is compatible with the law and with a sustainable future,” said Peter Anderson, Director of State Energy Policy with Appalachian Voices. 

“Overall, this is what we’ve come to expect from Dominion, but it doesn’t mean it’s right. While the General Assembly required Dominion to conduct a stakeholder process ahead of its IRP filing this year, the Company disregarded a key concern raised by participants — the need to show a plan that modeled meeting the retirement requirements spelled out in the Virginia Clean Economy Act. Dominion showed no such plan,” said Rachel James, a staff attorney at SELC.

Now that Dominion has filed its IRP, the SCC will seek public comment on it and hold hearings.

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About Appalachian Voices 

Appalachian Voices is a leading nonprofit advocate for a healthy environment and just economy in the Appalachian region, and a driving force in America’s shift from fossil fuels to a clean energy future. appvoices.org 

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About Southern Environmental Law Center

The Southern Environmental Law Center is one of the nation’s most powerful defenders of the environment, rooted in the South. With a long track record, SELC takes on the toughest environmental challenges in court, in government, and in our communities to protect our region’s air, water, climate, wildlife, lands, and people. Nonprofit and nonpartisan, the organization has a staff of 200, including more than 120 legal and policy experts, and is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., with offices in Asheville, Atlanta, Birmingham, Chapel Hill, Charleston, Nashville, Richmond, and Washington, D.C. southernenvironment.org