SCC approves plans for power plant in Brunswick County

Published August 2, 2013 by Robert Powell, III

The State Corporation Commission has given Richmond-based Dominion Virginia Power permission to build a 1,358-megawatt, natural gas-fueled power station in Brunswick County.

The company, a subsidiary of Dominion Resources Inc., said the $1.3 billion natural gas-fired power station near Lawrenceville will help it meet rising demand for electricity while replacing aging coal-fired power stations that are being retired.

Dominion plans to start construction immediately. Commercial service is expected to begin in the summer 2016.

A study commissioned by Dominion estimates that development and construction of the power plant will generate about $824 million in economic impact for the state.

An average of about 380 construction workers will be involved in the project during construction.

When finished, the power plant will employ 43 full-time workers and pay about $4 million a year in local property taxes.

SCC also approved a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for transmission interconnection facilities tying the station to the gird and a rate adjustment clause, which will allow the company to recover costs of the project. The initial increase in the monthly bill of a typical residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity would be 81 cents, effective Sept. 1.

The transmission facilities include a 13.5-mile long transmission line that will connect the station to an existing transmission line.

In the first full year of the station's operation Dominion expects there will be fuel savings of about $96 million.