On April 11, 2020, Governor Northam signed the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) into law. This legislation requires 100% of Virginia's electricity to come from carbon-free sources by 2050. In order to achieve this goal, the VCEA requires Virginia's two primary Investor-Owned Utilities (Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power Company) to close several carbon emitting facilities over the next thirty years. To prepare for these anticipated closures, Governor Northam signed HB 1834 into law on March 11, 2021, which created several legal requirements for utilities and localities to report on and prepare for facility closures. Additionally, it requires Virginia Energy to develop a webpage listing the facilities subject to these requirements and their anticipated closure dates. As required by the legislation, this webpage includes a table of facilities that all meet the below criteria.
- Has a nameplate generating capacity of 80 megawatts or more;
- Is located in the Commonwealth;
- Emits carbon dioxide as a byproduct of combusting fuel, whether or not certificated by the State Corporation Commission and;
- Is subject to regulations adopted by the Air Pollution Control Board.
The table shows 33 facilities that were in service as of the end of 2019 in Virginia. This data is primarily taken from the Energy Information Agency 860 (EIA 860) database, for which generation owners are required to self-report information. The table also includes data taken from public documents, such as Dominion Energy's and Appalachian Power's most recent Integrated Resource Plans (IRP). The IRP's include information regarding potential generation retirements, as shown in Column J of the table titled, "anticipated closure date (if known)." The anticipated closure date column should not be confused with the mandated closure date column, which is denoted in column I. Column I reflects the mandated deadlines within the VCEA that require Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power to retire certain carbon emitting generation units. The VCEA only applies to the facilities owned by Dominion Energy and Appalachian Power, therefore there are no mandated closure dates for the facilities owned by other entities.
In addition to the creation of this webpage, HB1834 requires each owner of a large carbon-emitting power plant to provide notice to relevant localities and state agencies about the decision to close the plant within 30 days of making such decision. Additionally, the bill requires localities in which such facilities are located, and planning district commissions in such localities, to conduct public hearings regarding the impending closure within six months of receipt of such notice.
Virginia Energy will work with the State Corporation Commission to ensure that this webpage remains up to date. If you have any questions about the data or potential retirement dates, please Contact Us
