UTILITY WANTS NEW ENERGY

content.6572"target="_blank">Dominion Virginia Power Putting Bigger Stake In Renewable Energy
1 April 2011 (Renew Grid)

"Dominion Virginia Power…intends to convert three of its Virginia power plants from coal-fired to biomass technology, as well as…investigate the potential for high-voltage transmission infrastructure for offshore wind power.

"The three 63 MW power stations [set for conversion to biomass]…went online in 1992. The conversion of the plants would reduce their output to 50 MW each, but they would operate nearly continuously, rather than during peak demand."

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"…[If approved by local governments and regulators,] the projects, Dominion Virginia could begin burning biomass at the three sites in 2013.

"The study Dominion Virginia has commissioned will look into the feasibility of building a high-voltage undersea transmission line from Virginia Beach into the Atlantic Ocean, for the purpose of integrating electricity from multiple offshore wind farms."

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[Scot C. Hathaway, vice president of transmission, Dominion Virginia:] "An undersea transmission line project will be a key to getting wind generation from the Atlantic Ocean to our customers…It makes sense for us to begin a preliminary scoping study…without regard to issues of rates, timing and integration into the PJM Interconnection regional transmission grid."

"Dominion says it will work with PJM Interconnection, through the grid operator's Regional Transmission Expansion Planning process, to complete the study this year."