Dominion requests 500MW of solar and wind in Virginia

Dominion Energy is seeking bids for 500MW of solar and offshore wind power in Virginia, with plans for the pipeline to go live by 2021 or 2022.

The company will buy development projects outright or ink 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) that have an option for the utility to purchase the project at market price within six years. Projects must be larger than 5MW in size.

Developers have until 15 August to submit a bid, with final asset purchase and power purchase proposals due in October 2019 and January 2020 respectively. Development proposals that plan to secure the full 30% federal investment tax credit (ITC) before it begins to taper in 2020 will be at an advantage.

In April, Dominion Energy announced it will develop six PV projects totalling 350MW for Facebook in Virginia. In late June, it issued a pair of RFPs for community solar and small-scale projects in the state.

The extra energy generation will bring the utility closer to its target of having 3GW of solar and wind in operation or under development in Virginia by 2022, helping slash its carbon footprint by 55% by 2030. Dominion Energy has the fourth-largest solar portfolio in the United States.

The large-scale RFP was released on August 1, less than one week before the company unveiled a US$33 million battery storage pilot that will span four locations in central Virginia. Two batteries totalling 12MW will be installed at the 7MW community Scott Solar project in Powhatan County and a 2MW battery will be installed at a substation in New Kent County that serves a 20MW solar facility. Read the full story on our sister publication, Energy-Storage.news.

Tags: dominion virginia power, dominion, power purchase agreement, pv tender, usa, virginia, ssfusa, battery storage, investment tax credit