Virginia is getting a 764 MW bump in solar power capacity

Virginia has approved over a dozen new solar projects that will significantly boost Dominion Energy’s clean energy capacity.

On Friday, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), the state’s regulatory agency, approved 17 solar farms capable of generating 764 megawatts (MW) of clean power for Dominion Energy Virginia, the state’s largest utility.

Dominion, which has the second-largest solar fleet in the US, will own or acquire four solar farms totaling 329 MW, and it’s also made 13 power-purchase agreements (PPAs) totaling 435 MW with independently owned solar projects.

That’s enough to power nearly 200,000 homes at peak output.

The four Dominion-owned solar farms will be 57 MW Beldale Solar in Powhatan County, 95 MW Blue Ridge Solar in Pittsylvania County, 127 MW Bookers Mill Solar in Richmond County, and 50 MW Michaux Solar in Henry and Pittsylvania counties.

The construction will support more than 1,600 jobs and generate more than $570 million in economic benefits across Virginia. The solar farms are expected to come online by 2026.

Once the new projects are complete, Dominion will have more than 4.6 gigawatts (GW) of approved solar farms in Virginia – enough to power more than 1.1 million homes at peak output. The utility currently delivers electricity to more than 2.5 million homes and businesses in the state.

Ed Baine, President of Dominion Energy Virginia, said, “Through our investments in offshore wind, battery storage, and solar, Virginia continues to make progress on its clean energy transition.”

According to the Solar Energy Industries Association, Virginia is ranked 11th among states for the installed solar installed and is expected to move up to ninth place in five years. The state currently gets 6.56% of its electricity from solar, and as of December 2023, coal is still its leading source of net electricity generation, followed by natural gas.

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