Dominion’s subsidiary Dominion Virginia Power announced that the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) has endorsed its plans to construct and operate a 1,358MW natural gas-fuelled power station near Lawrenceville in Brunswick County.
With the new project, monthly bills of a residential customer using 1,000kWh of electricity will initially increase by 81 cents, starting from 1 September 2013.
The combined cycle, natural gas-fired power station will replace electricity from aging coal-fired power stations that are being retired for economic and environmental reasons.
Construction work is set to start immediately and commercial service is likely to begin in the summer of 2016.
The project, which will cost $1.3bn, is expected to give economic benefits of $824m to the state, while around 380 people will be hired during the construction phase.
It will generate 43 jobs and pay approximately $4m in property tax when it enters commercial operations.
In its first full year of operation, the power station is expected to save around $96m in fuel costs and later on an additional $1bn for customers, when compared with other power supplying options.
Dominion chairman, president and CEO Thomas F. Farrell II said, "The Brunswick power station will produce significant customer benefits in helping to keep power costs low and reliability high.
"It also will benefit Virginia in terms of cleaner air and providing a major economic boost for the region."
Dominion has also received approval from the commission to construct transmission lines, two new switching stations and associated facilities in Brunswick and Greensville Counties, Virginia.
The transmission facilities include a 13.5 mile long 500kV transmission line that will connect the station to an existing transmission line.
Image: Dominion’s new power plant will save $96m in fuel cost. Photo: courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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