Dominion

The investment will promote solar and other new generation to meet Clean Power Plan goals to substantially lower carbon emissions from power production.

Nearly $3.6bn will be spent on transmission lines and substations and $3.5bn for new generation and environmental improvements. The company will also invest $2.4bn on its distribution system.

These capital expenditures are in addition to the $5bn Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which is being built by Dominion Transmission to serve Dominion Virginia Power and other electric and natural gas utilities.

Construction on the natural gas pipeline will begin later this year, upon receiving approval from Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

During the construction phase, the project is expected to create 8,800 new jobs and more than $1.4bn in new economic activity. This pipeline would connect public utilities and their customers in Virginia and North Carolina with natural gas from the nationwide interstate transmission grid.

The company said that carbon dioxide emissions in Virginia could be reduced by more than 5% by 2022, replacing coal with natural gas.

Since 2008, the company has invested more than $8bn in new electricity infrastructure, including environmental control equipment designed to reduce fossil power station air emissions.

The company has growing demand for electricity in the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection, which serves 13 states and the District of Columbia.

Dominion Virginia Power currently serves 2.5 million customers in Virginia and northeast North Carolina.


Image: Dominion Virginia Power to promote solar power generation with new investment. Photo: courtesy of pakorn / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.