As we remain committed to both providing reliable power to our customers and also using increasingly clean energy to do so, demand for power continues to increase not decrease. CERC will work hand-in-hand with clean and renewable generation sources by providing “always-ready” dispatchable power when other facilities need help doing so as it will have the ability to start quickly when needed and also taken offline quickly when no longer needed.

The state-of-the-art Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center will feature advanced emissions controls such as dry-low NOx burners, a selective catalytic reduction system and oxidation catalysts to help reduce emissions of nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and more.

Dispatchable natural gas turbines are called upon when there is insufficient generation to meet customer demand, such as during increased loads and seasonal peaks. With a quick response time, they can go from being idle to producing reliable, around-the-clock electricity within approximately 10 minutes. They have been in operation since the early 1990s and are a proven technology.

For Dominion Energy, it is not a one-or-the-other, but “everything.”
All types of generation have their own unique strengths and weaknesses, that is why we are focused on using diverse types of generation to ensure reliable power is available around-the-clock for our customers. Our generation mix currently includes seven carbon-free nuclear units, four of the most modern combined-cycle natural gas facilities, the largest hydroelectric pumped storage facility in the Western Hemisphere, and a rapidly growing portfolio of renewable generation that includes the largest offshore wind project (in construction) and the second largest solar portfolio (operating and planned) in the US.
However, offshore wind provides power approximately 50% of the time and solar up to 25% of the time meaning both would need to be paired with battery storge to provide power to provide reliable power at any time. Utility-scale battery storage is still an emerging technology and current technologies are typically sized for up to four hours. That is not enough to power our customers throughout the night. These types of generation also take up much greater land space.

First and foremost, the community will benefit from continued reliable power that they expect and deserve. Keeping the lights on is critically important as it is the most vulnerable community members who suffer the most when the power goes out.
In addition, the community will benefit from jobs, economic activity, and increased tax revenue including in Chesterfield County.