May 29 2008
Dominion Virginia Power, a subsidiary of Dominion, asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission today for permission to offer its customers two new options to purchase renewable energy.
Renewable energy is derived from sunlight, wind, falling water, sustainable biomass, waste, wave motion, tides and geothermal power.
"We are excited to be able to provide our customers with the ability to support renewable energy," said David A. Heacock, president of Dominion Virginia Power. "Many of our customers have asked us to provide them with this voluntary option."
Pending SCC approval, residential and business customers would be able to purchase renewable energy conveniently starting in January 2009 through their monthly bills in two ways.
The first option to purchase renewable energy would allow customers to offset 100 percent of their electrical usage with electricity generated from renewable energy sources. Payments under this option would be added to their monthly bill and would be calculated based on their monthly electrical usage and market prices for renewable energy.
The second option offers customers a fixed dollar amount, which they would determine, to be added to their monthly bills for the purchase of renewable energy. The amount of renewable energy purchased would depend on the dollar amount and market prices for renewable energy.
Under both options, Dominion would purchase renewable energy certificates from "green power" producers in order to provide customers a means of directly supporting production of renewable energy. Dominion will make periodic reports to customers on their purchases of renewable energy.
In addition to this renewable offer, Dominion is committed to achieving Virginia's voluntary goal of 12 percent of base year electricity energy sales coming from renewable energy sources by 2022. The company has a growing portfolio of renewable energy generation, which now totals nearly 1,300 megawatts in operation or under development in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Southeast regions.
Renewable resources are an important part of an integrated strategy Dominion is employing to meet the growing energy needs of its customers. The strategy, called "Powering Virginia," is based on energy conservation; renewable generation; other new generation based on clean coal, emissions-free nuclear and natural gas; and improvements in transmission and distribution infrastructure.