Virginia regulators last week approved Dominion Virginia Power’s request to build a 1,358 MW natural gas-fired generator near Lawrenceville in Brunswick County.
Dominion said it plans to start construction immediately on the $1.3 billion combined cycle plant, which is expected to go into commercial operation in the summer of 2016.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission approved a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the project and a rate adjustment clause to recover construction costs. The commission also approved the construction of a 13.5-mile 500 kv transmission line to connect the generator to the grid.
The rate rider will generate $43.5 million in its first year, increasing the monthly bill of a residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity by 81 cents.
Dominion said the plant, which is being added to serve load growth and replace retiring coal plants, will save $96 million in fuel costs in its first full year of operation.
