RICHMOND, Va., Jan. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Rain or shine, on
the front lines or behind the scenes, Dominion Virginia Power has
made steady progress throughout 2016 to provide reliable,
affordable service, and invest in new technologies for a cleaner
and brighter future.
"Throughout 2016, we have continued to invest in modernizing and
strengthening the energy grid to make our service more reliable. As
a result, customers have seen an average of 10 percent improvement
in reliability since 2011 when measured by minutes without power,"
said Robert M. Blue, chief executive
officer and president of Dominion Virginia Power, in his annual
letter to the company's 2.5 million electric customers.
"We aim to continually improve reliability because every minute
our customers are without power matters," said Blue. "In major
events, we mobilize our dedicated employees to restore power as
quickly and safely as possible."
In 2016, Hurricane Matthew brought about the most widespread
power outages Dominion has had since 2012. When the storm changed
path and impacted the company's service territory, Dominion quickly
amassed a restoration team of several thousand people who worked
around the clock to return life back to normal.
"At Dominion, we understand the importance of reducing our
carbon footprint and protecting the health and safety of the
public," said Blue. Since 2000, Dominion has reduced the company's
carbon intensity rate (the average CO2 emissions rate
per unit of electric output) by 43 percent companywide. Dominion
also is an industry leader in shifting the company's coal fleet
toward cleaner alternatives, including the closure of all the
company's coal ash ponds by 2019, four years ahead of the federal
requirement.
"Improving fleet performance has helped cut the cost of fuel,
lower rates, and increase reliability. We keep costs down by
investing in the efficiency of our generation fleet," said
Blue.
In April 2016, Dominion began
operating Brunswick County Power Station, a combined cycle facility
that operates as one of the most efficient stations in the country.
Power Engineering Magazine awarded Dominion with top honors
for the station, including Best Overall Generation Project of the
Year and Best Gas-Fired Project of the Year.
Brunswick is one of several new
gas-powered stations Dominion is building to replace aging
coal-fired power stations and meet the need for clean, reliable
energy. The station's efficient design and low cost of natural gas
are expected to provide an estimated $100
million in fuel savings to customers in its first year of
operation and between $954 million and $1.5
billion over the life of the station.
Dominion also has worked this past year to keep costs low for
customers, with typical electric rates being significantly lower
than the national average. See https://www.dom.com/varates for rate
comparisons.
These efforts have been recognized within the industry. In 2015
Fortune magazine ranked Dominion No. 1 overall among its
electric utility peers for innovation, social responsibility, and
quality of service.
"Although we confront major challenges in the ever-changing
energy landscape, our main goal is always our dedication to serving
our customers," said Blue.
In addition to Dominion's commitment to reliability and
sustainability, Dominion continued its steady focus on corporate
citizenship and improving communities. Forbes magazine
named Dominion as one of the "Just 100" best corporate citizens of
the United States in 2016.
About Dominion Virginia Power:
Dominion is one of the
nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a
portfolio of approximately 26,000 megawatts of generation, 14,400
miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline,
and 6,500 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates
one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1
trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6
million utility and retail energy customers. For more information
about Dominion, visit the company's website
at www.dom.com.
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SOURCE Dominion