Dominion Energy announced Wednesday that it’s relocating the proposed Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center to the adjacent site of the retired Chesterfield Power Station.
The new site, which sits northwest of Dutch Gap Conservation Area, comes with a 2010 conditional use permit that the county says would apply to the proposed gas plant — allowing the project to continue without public hearings and notices that are part of the county’s permitting process.
Dominion has held several informational open houses on the project, and has scheduled more in the coming weeks.
Dominion says CERC will serve as a peaker plant, running 37% of the time, according to state filings. The on-demand nature and quick startup time of this type of natural gas plant allows the company flexibility compared to other sources like wind, solar or nuclear.
But natural gas is a carbon-emitting fuel source, which has sparked local opposition.
Friends of Chesterfield, an environmental group formed by residents to oppose the project, has requested the county reevaluate its decision that the 2010 permit applies to Dominion’s proposal. FOC takes issue with new natural gas development due to its carbon emissions and local health impacts.
Organizer Glen Besa said the news doesn’t change much for the group.
“The same people who have endured air pollution for over almost 80 years with a coal plant site would be enduring another 30 to 40 years with a gas plant site, and we don’t think that’s fair,” Besa said.
In March, state Democrats took a public stand against the project. Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) held a public forum in February where Dominion representatives fielded questions from attendees.
FOC has also shared its views with Chesterfield leadership during public comment portions of normal Board of Supervisors meetings.
Dominion says it is committed to building out carbon-free power generation by adding to its solar and offshore wind fleets — but argues that natural gas is needed to reliably keep the lights on while Virginia’s demand for electricity rapidly expands. Power-hungry data centers are more concentrated in Loudoun County than anywhere else on the planet.
“With power demand growing at an unprecedented pace, this project will ensure there is enough reliable power for our customers when they need it the most — on the hottest and coldest days of the year when they use the most electricity to heat and cool their homes,” Dominion spokesperson Jeremy Slayton wrote in a press release.
Slayton wrote that Dominion’s decision comes after months of public engagement and will limit construction to already-developed land, instead of the undeveloped parcel originally under consideration.
“Additionally, the project will meet all air quality requirements that are protective of human health and the environment,” Slayton wrote. “For these reasons, we are confident the project meets all site suitability requirements under Virginia law.”
The state Department of Environmental Quality and State Corporation Commission will hold public hearings and comment periods during their reviews of the project. DEQ is responsible for issuing the plant’s air pollution permit, while SCC has authority to give final approval for construction and cost recovery from customers.
Besa said along with its work at the county level, FOC will engage with those state bodies.
“We don't believe the customers of Dominion should be paying for a new gas plant when Dominion is obligated to be reducing its air pollution and its climate pollution under the Virginia Clean Economy Act,” Besa said.
Moving to the previously developed site means Dominion will have to demolish the Power Station and prepare the land for new development, which could extend the project’s timeline — but the company doesn’t expect reliability concerns in the interim.
A spokesperson for Bermuda District supervisor Jim Ingle said his office does not “comment on pending or potential litigation.”
