FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
CONTACT
Emily Pomilio (480) 286-0401, emily.pomilio@sierraclub.org
Mary-Stuart Torbeck (804) 305-4355, mary-stuart.torbeck@sierraclub.org
Dominion Again Fails to Deliver on Clean Energy in Updated IRP
Only One of Three Plans Includes a Commitment to Offshore Wind
RICHMOND, Virginia – On August 30, Dominion Energy submitted their updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) required by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). The IRP provides the potential breakdown of how Dominion will generate energy for electricity over the next 15 years. The recent IRP lays out three potential plans, only one of which includes a commitment to offshore wind while all three promise more fracked gas and toxic power plants.
While Dominion’s 2019 IRP update does include potential development of offshore wind and additional solar infrastructure, the commitments to clean energy are not consistent in all three plans. In fact, two plans include a significant decrease in energy from solar generation compared to the original plan Dominion proposed in 2018. Although all plans indicate a closure of the Chesterfield and Clover coal fire plants, the plans also include additional fracked gas projects.
Kate Addleson, Sierra Club Virginia Chapter Director responded with the following:
"Dominion cannot reach its purported commitment to an 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 if they do not solidify clean energy in their IRP. The plans underscore the company’s devotion to dirty fuels that exacerbate the climate crisis and impact public health instead of positioning the state as a clean energy leader. It is extremely disappointing to see that wind and solar development are not consistent across their three proposed plans. After years of pressure from the community and local businesses, Dominion still isn’t getting the message that Virginians want more renewable energy options.”
“We’re hopeful that the directives set by the State Corporation Commission (required in all future IRPs) will prevent Dominion from planning for more costly, unnecessary fossil fuel projects. Virginians know that increased renewable energy means lower bills, local jobs, healthier communities, reliable energy, and a stable climate.”
###
The Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club is over 20,000 members strong. We are your friends and neighbors working to build healthy, livable communities, and to conserve and protect our climate and environment. The Virginia Chapter is part of the national Sierra Club, the nation's largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization. For more information, visit http://www.sierraclub.org/virginia