Dominion Virginia to Turn Three Coal-Fired Plants to Biomass
Dominion Resources Inc.’s electric distribution unit in Virginia plans to convert three coal-fired power plants in the state to use biomass instead, providing a boost to Virginia’s economy of as much as $350 million in the next three decades and reducing carbon emissions.
Dominion Virginia Power will convert the three 63-megawatt peaking plants, which only operate at peak demand, in Altavista, Hopewell and Southampton counties to 50-megawatt plants that operate on an almost continuous basis, Richmond, Virginia-based Dominion Resources said today in a statement. The plants would provide power for about 37,500 homes, the company said.
The plants, which are identical and went into operation in 1992, would begin burning fuel from timbering operations wood waste in 2013 if the conversions are approved by local governments. The plants will help Dominion meet Virginia’s voluntary goal of sourcing 15 percent of the company’s generation from renewable sources by 2025.
Dominion said yesterday it will begin studying the construction of a high-voltage underwater transmission line from Virginia Beach into the Atlantic Ocean to potentially support multiple offshore wind farms.
Dominion was little changed at $44.70 in New York Stock Exchange composite trading at 3:53 p.m. New York time. It has gained 4.6 percent this year.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ehren Goossens in New York at egoossens1@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Reed Landberg at landberg@bloomberg.net
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