Consultants Forum Advertise
Subscribe
Close

  • Free for qualified executives and consultants to industry

  • Receive quarterly issues of Area Development Magazine and special market report and directory issues

Subscribe Now
Renew

Area Development - Site Selection, Facility Planning and Workforce Development

Dominion Virginia Power Plans More Than $1-Billion Natural Gas-Fueled Power Station In Greensville County, Virginia

03/26/2015
Dominion Virginia Power is proposing to build an approximately 1600-megawatt, natural gas-fueled power station in Greensville County, Virginia. The station, which would cost more than $1 billion, would be a combined-cycle facility consisting of three gas-fired combustion turbines and a steam turbine designed to generate enough power for 400,000 typical homes at peak demand.

"We are proposing to construct the largest and most efficient natural-gas fueled power station in Virginia to bring our customers reliable, low-cost energy," said David Christian, CEO for Dominion Generation.

According to Dominion Power officials, the company selected the site for development because of its proximity to transmission and natural gas lines, water supply, railroads and major highways. The 1,143-acre site straddles the Greensville/Brunswick County line with 740 acres in Greensville County.

Pending regulatory approval, the station would create more than 1,000 jobs at the peak of construction and be operational in 2019 to meet projected demand growth. When operational, the station will have about 45 full-time employees.

Dominion is currently building a 1,300 megawatt combined-cycle power station just 4.5 miles away in Brunswick County that is about 58 percent complete.

"This project is another great step toward the clean energy portfolio we need to build a new Virginia economy," said Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe. "This plant will offer clean, reliable and low-cost energy to Virginia homes and businesses and at the same time, the jobs and tax revenue generated will be a positive boost for Greensville County and all of Southside Virginia."

The company plans to submit its application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity to the State Corporation Commission in July. Construction would begin in mid- 2016, subject to SCC and environmental approvals. In its first year of operation, the station is expected to provide as much as $8 million in property taxes, the Utility said.

"We are very pleased to have been selected for the site of this project and welcome Dominion to our county," said Peggy R. Wiley, Chair of the Greensville County Board of Supervisors. "We look forward to the continued growth and development of the county through this partnership with Dominion."

The station would be served by a Williams' Transco natural gas line that is being extended to the site and the proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline that will cross the station property when that pipeline is built. This will improve operational reliability by providing flexibility and redundancy in procuring the station's fuel supply. The ACP will be critical to providing reliability, infrastructure, fuel supply diversity and helping to keep fuel costs low not only for this plant but the entire generation fleet.

The company already has filed the necessary zoning permit applications with both jurisdictions. The applications also seek to have the site approved for the construction of a future large-scale solar project.

In November 2014, Dominion issued a request for proposals to begin delivery of electricity in the 2019/2020 timeframe. This is to support Dominion's generation needs as presented in the company's Integrated Resource Plan. After a thorough and objective evaluation of those proposals, this power station in Greensville County was selected as the option most beneficial to customers.

Exclusive Research