Choose Your State of Service
In order to serve you better, please select your Dominion Energy location services.
In order to serve you better, please select your Dominion Energy location services.
In order to serve you better, please select your Dominion Energy location services.
Our exciting innovations in two renewable energies
This article is about:
Our commitment to clean, renewable energy
Our innovation in solar energy for residential and commercial customers
Our programs in wind energy, both land-based and offshore
When it comes to clean energy, it’s hard to imagine sources more pure than the warmth of the sun or the caress of a breeze. That’s why solar and wind energy – readily available and endlessly renewable – are the cornerstone of Dominion Energy’s renewable energy program.
We’re making major changes in how we conduct our business — with a special focus on making the energy we provide cleaner and more environmentally friendly. Our investment in renewables such as solar and wind will help us fulfill our promise to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
See how these renewable energy sources are helping us to deliver on our company’s mission to serve our customers safely and reliably, while minimizing environmental impacts.
Solar energy is key to our company’s clean energy growth, and to a more sustainable future for our planet. According to the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, the amount of sunlight that hits the Earth every 1.5 hours is enough to handle the world's energy needs for an entire year. Imagine the possibilities if we’re able to capture and convert even a fraction of that energy into clean electricity.
As owners of the 4th largest utility solar portfolio in America, we’re working hard to tap into that potential. Since 2013, we've helped bring 2,400 megawatts of solar into operation in nine states – that’s enough energy to power about 600,000 homes at peak output. In Virginia alone, we’ve increased our solar generation from just 1 megawatt in 2015 to more than 1,700 megawatts in operation or under development today.
Our drive to build and maintain systems of renewable energy for our customers has led to the development of several innovative solar projects, including:
The Community Solar Pilot Program
This program, rolled out in Virginia in 2019, allows more customers to participate in our solar program. Residential, commercial, and industrial customers located within the program’s service zone will be able to “go solar,” regardless of their individual capacity to install solar panels on their homes or businesses.
Customers who elect to participate in the pilot will have a portion of their energy needs met by community-based solar facilities fed directly into the Dominion Energy grid. This off-site solar access allows residential customers who live, for instance, in apartments or other rental properties, and businesses that may lack adequate rooftop space, the opportunity to subscribe for some of their energy needs through solar generation.
This innovative program creates an affordable way for our customers to support solar power and show their commitment to renewable energy.
Dulles Airport Solar Project
We’ve partnered with the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority to develop a large-scale solar energy project on approximately 1,200 acres at Virginia’s Washington Dulles International Airport.
This 100 megawatt facility, which could come online as early as 2023, will have the ability power 25,000 homes at peak output and will be one of the largest solar facilities in Northern Virginia, providing clean energy to the most populous region of the state.
As part of our commitment to becoming the most sustainable energy company in the country, we're investing in land-based and offshore wind power. This abundant renewable resource is emissions-free, and can actually deliver tangible financial benefits to the communities around the wind farms. We’re excited to lead the way in exploring both the clean energy and economic potential of wind power.
Land-Based Wind
We’ve partnered with BP Alternative Energy to create one of the largest wind-power facilities in the world, which will ultimately generate enough carbon-free electricity to power more than 200,000 average American homes.
Located in Indiana, the Fowler Ridge Wind Farm utilizes more than 350 wind turbines to produce 600 megawatts of clean energy. The facility represents our growing presence in the Midwest, where we have more than 3,500 megawatts of generation capacity in operation or under development.
Offshore Wind
We’ve partnered with Ørsted Energy to develop the first offshore wind project in the mid-Atlantic. The Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind pilot project, expected to enter service in 2020, will be the first offshore wind development in federal waters and the first to be owned by an electric utility.
The project will ultimately include nearly 200 wind turbines with a potential output of more than 2,600 megawatts – enough to power 650,000 homes. We see this project as an opportunity to provide more renewable energy to our customers and also give a boost to the offshore wind industry on the East Coast.
Advancements like these programs and projects make up a key part of our clean-energy strategy, so we are cultivating an innovative spirit in every corner of our company. We’re not changing our mission, just our methods — and in the process, transforming the future of energy in America.
How does it work?
Solar panels absorb sunlight, passing the energy through the layers of the panels and convert it into electricity.
Wind turbines use three blades to "catch" the kinetic energy of the wind and convert it to electrical energy.
“Extra” power not needed immediately on the grid is stored to backstop for cloudy or windless days.
Copyright © 2024 Dominion Energy
