Delivering Clean Energy
We're investing in renewables, including natural gas, nuclear, solar and wind. We've committed to reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, including an 80% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050 and a 55% reduction in methane emissions by 2030.
Clean Energy Future
Everyone deserves a clean world, and we all have a role to play in protecting our environment. Our future depends on clean energy. That’s why we have dramatically overhauled our energy portfolio to include more low- and no-carbon sources through large investments in renewables such as solar, wind, and nuclear.
Today, more than 85% of our generation comes from clean energy sources or natural gas-fired generation that supports renewables, and only 13% of our electricity comes from coal. Last year, we met our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions at our power generating facilities by nearly 50% since 2005. We are committing to continue this progress to meet an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at our power generation fleet by 2050.
Solar
Since 2013, we have invested more than $3.5 billion in renewables and have increased our total solar generation portfolio from 41 megawatts to nearly 2,600. This past year we brought online 136 megawatts of solar generation at six facilities, and we are planning to add another 3,000 megawatts of new solar or wind in Virginia – enough to power 750,000 homes – by 2022.
We have the 4th largest solar portfolio in the United States.
Enough solar energy to power
425,000
homes
Nearly
8.5 Million
solar panels
230,000
construction jobs
in Virginia
We offer solar energy services in 9 states.
Go Solar
The Community Solar Pilot gives you the option to power your home or business with local solar energy. The pilot began in early 2019.
Wind
Wind turbines use three blades to "catch" the kinetic energy of the wind and convert it to electrical energy. We're investing in land and offshore wind power because it's an abundant renewable resource.
Wind Farms
A group of wind turbines built close together is a wind farm. Compatible with livestock farming, wind farming provides another source of income for farmers in drought-prone rural communities.
Offshore Wind
Construction is underway on our Coastal Offshore Wind pilot project – only the second such project in the country, and the first owned by an electric utility. We expect it to enter service in 2020. The completed project will have the potential to power 500,000 homes.
We are truly excited to bring offshore wind to Virginians for the first time.
Nuclear
Nuclear power is the largest source of energy that emits no air pollution and the only one that can provide energy around the clock.
Our carbon-free nuclear fleet will continue to play a central role in reducing and preventing carbon emissions. Our four nuclear stations provide enough energy to power 1.5 million homes in the Southeast, mid-Atlantic, and New England.
Natural Gas
We recognize the urgent need to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. And because different results require different ways of doing things, sustainability and innovation must go hand-in-hand.
We safely and reliably deliver natural gas to 3.4 million gas utility customers and to several manufacturing and industrial customers and other gas utilities. We plan to spend billions of dollars over the next decade to expand and modernize that network of pipes and compressor stations to make it safer and cleaner – and to meet demand growth. And we have plans to use a mix of new technologies and existing ones in order to reduce methane emissions by 55 percent across our gas business by 2030.
Hydroelectric Power
Hydropower is an efficient, renewable energy source that can supplement power from other stations when demand is high. Hydroelectric power currently generates about 10% of the nation's energy.
Pumped Storage
Pumped storage plants can store hydropower. In this scenario, the power grid sends energy into the electric generators at the pumped storage station. The generators then spin the turbines backward, so that they pump water from a river or lower reservoir to an upper reservoir where it is stored until needed.
The Bath County Pumped Storage Station is the largest pumped storage station in the world. It can power 750,000 homes – more than the Hoover Dam.
Biomass Fuel
We converted three coal-fired power stations to generate 100% renewable biomass energy.
Any material that comes from plants and animals is biomass fuel. In Virginia, biomass fuel comes from waste wood from logging.
The Altavista, Hopewell and Southampton power stations produce only biomass-fired power. Our Pittsylvania Power Station and the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center can use up to 20% biomass for fuel.
The production of biomass energy creates roughly 300 jobs in Virginia. It also reduces emissions and helps us earn extra renewable energy certificates, which saves our customers money.
