This story was researched and written by VPM News.

Dominion Energy announced Wednesday that it will relocate its planned Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center to the adjacent site of the decommissioned Chesterfield power plant.

The new site, northwest of the Dutch Gap Nature Preserve, has a conditional building permit from 2010, which the county says will also apply to the planned gas-fired power plant. This would allow the project to proceed without the public hearings and notices that are part of the county’s permitting process.

Dominion has held several open houses on the project and has more planned for the coming weeks.

According to the state, Dominion says CERC will serve as a peak-load power plant, running 37% of the time. The on-demand usage and quick start-up time of this type of natural gas power plant gives the company more flexibility compared to other sources such as wind, solar or nuclear.

However, natural gas emits CO2, which has led to resistance at the local level.

Friends of Chesterfield, an environmental group formed by residents opposed to the project, has urged the county to reconsider its decision that the 2010 permit applies to Dominion’s proposal. FOC opposes the new natural gas development because of the associated carbon emissions and impacts on local health.

Organizer Glen Besa said the news didn’t change much for the group.

“The same people who had to endure air pollution for almost 80 years at the site of a coal-fired power plant would have to suffer for another 30 to 40 years at the site of a gas-fired power plant, and we don’t think that’s fair,” said Besa.

Patrick Larsen

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VPM News

In March, state Democrats took a public stand against the project. Senator Ghazala Hashmi (D-Chesterfield) held a public forum in February where Dominion representatives answered questions from attendees.

FOC has also shared its views with Chesterfield management during public comment periods at regular Board of Supervisors meetings.

Dominion says it is committed to expanding carbon-free power generation by expanding its solar and offshore wind assets – but argues that natural gas is needed to keep the power supply reliable at a time when Virginia’s electricity demand is rising rapidly. Power-hungry data centers are more concentrated in Loudoun County than anywhere else in the world.

“As electricity demand grows at an unprecedented pace, this project will ensure our customers have enough reliable power when they need it most – on the hottest and coldest days of the year, when they use the most electricity to heat and cool their homes,” Dominion spokesman Jeremy Slayton wrote in a press release.

Slayton wrote that Dominion’s decision came after months of public input and will limit development to land that has already been developed, rather than the undeveloped property originally considered.

“In addition, the project will meet all air quality requirements that protect human health and the environment,” Slayton wrote. “For these reasons, we are confident that the project meets all site requirements under Virginia law.”

The state Department of Environmental Protection and the State Corporation Commission will hold public hearings and comments during their reviews of the project. The Department of Environmental Protection is responsible for issuing the air pollution permit for the plant, while the State Corporation Commission must give final approval for construction and cost reimbursement from customers.

Besa said that in addition to its work at the district level, FOC will also work with these state agencies.

“We do not believe Dominion’s customers should pay for a new gas-fired power plant when Dominion is required under the Virginia Clean Economy Act to reduce its air pollution and its climate pollution,” Besa said.

The move to the already developed site means Dominion will have to demolish the power plant and prepare the land for new development, which could extend the project’s schedule. However, the company does not expect any reliability issues in the meantime.

A spokesman for Bermuda District Attorney Jim Ingle said his office does not comment on “pending or potential litigation.”

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