The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved more than a dozen new solar projects from Dominion Energy, representing 764MW of new capacity.
The projects will generate enough energy to power nearly 200,000 homes at peak output and include four solar projects totalling 329MW that will be owned or acquired by Dominion Energy Virginia. These sites are the 57MW Beldale Solar in Powhatan County, 95MW Blue Ridge Solar in Pittsylvania County, 127MW Bookers Mill Solar in Richmond County and 50MW Michaux Solar in Henry and Pittsylvania Counties.
The projects also include 13 power-purchase agreements (PPAs) totalling 435MW with independently owned solar schemes.
“These projects deliver on our promise of reliable, affordable and increasingly clean energy for our customers,” said Dominion Energy Virginia president Ed Baine.
“Through our investments in offshore wind, battery storage and solar, Virginia continues to make progress on its clean energy transition.”
The approval marks a significant expansion of Dominion Energy’s growing solar fleet, which is currently the second largest in the US, said the developer. When those projects are complete, the company will surpass 4.6GW of approved solar projects in Virginia, enough to power more than 1.1 million homes at peak output.
The construction will support more than 1600 jobs and generate more than $570m in economic benefits across the state.