wiredInUSA February 2016

INDEX

Upgrading infrastructure at a cost of $9.5 billion. Photograph courtesy of Naypong/freedigitalphotos.net

Virginia investments

Dominion Virginia Power will spend nearly $9.5 billion to increase generation capacity and upgrade its infrastructure. The firm plans to invest $2.4 billion in its distribution system, $3.6 billion in transmission lines and substations, and $3.5 billion on new generation and environmental improvements. The investments also include $700 million for new solar generation and additional funds for undergrounding vulnerable distribution lines, subject to approval by the Virginia state corporation commission. The announcement follows last year’s decision toconstruct 400MWof large-scale solar projects in Virginia at a cost of $700 million.

The company also plans to upgrade the electric grid in Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Dominion Virginia said that the proposed investments are in addition to the planned $5 billion Atlantic coast pipeline project, currently awaiting federal energy regulatory commission approval. The company said in a statement: “We believe the additional supplies of clean-burning natural gas to be brought by the Atlantic coast pipeline are essential to the company’s plans to meet the goals laid out in the federal clean power plan to substantially lower carbon emissions from power production.”

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