Dominion Energy Virginia has announced its plan to add 3,000MW of new solar and wind capacity by 2022 in the US.

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Image: An onshore wind turbine. Photo: courtesy of Christian Wagner/Freeimages.com.

The firm has filed its first set of the plans under Grid Transformation & Security Act (GTSA) to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) for the approval.

The regulatory filing includes programs, investments and costs included in the first three years of the 10-year grid transformation program.

By the beginning of 2022, Dominion aims to have 3,000MW of new solar and wind, either under development or in operation. The project will have capacity to power 750,000 homes.

In future, Dominion said it intends to submit an updated plan to SCC and request approval of additional programs.

Dominion Energy Power Delivery senior vice-president Ed Baine said: “Thanks to the Grid Transformation & Security Act, Dominion Energy plans to develop a system that meets the increasingly complex demands and expectations of our customers.”

The plan includes renewable energy, smart grid technology, grid security and energy efficiency programs to keep energy costs affordable.

Dominion said that the GTSA legislation, which was signed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, became effective from 1 July 2018 and provides a roadmap for Virginia’s energy future.

The GTSA includes provisions for $200m in bill credits to customers, and $125m in annual rate cuts due to tax relief; significant expansion of the company’s renewable energy fleet in Virginia; and future testing of wind turbines off the coast of Virginia Beach.

It also includes provision for modernizing the energy grid to improve reliability, resiliency and the ability to integrate renewable energy and emerging technology, the firm said.

In the filing submitted to SCC, Dominion Energy has included a proposal to add 240MW of solar energy in Virginia.

Additionally, Dominion said it will seek SCC approval for its proposed 12MW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project.

The CVOW facility is a two-turbine test project being developed through a partnership with Ørsted Energy of Denmark.