Dominion Virginia Power starts production at natural gas-fired plant

Dominion Virginia Power recently started producing electricity at a 1,358 MW natural gas-fired plant in Brunswick County, VA. The construction of the combined-cycle Brunswick Power Station, which is capable of producing enough electricity to power 325,000 homes, began in August 2013 to meet the growing demand and to offset lost capacity from coal retirements.

Dominion also recently received approval from Virginia regulators for its proposed 1,588 MW combined-cycle Greensville Power Station, planned near the Brunswick plant in Greensville County, VA. The Greensville plant is scheduled to begin operation in 2019.

Both plants will draw supply from Transcontinental Gas Pipe Line Co., or Transco, with plans for alternative tie-ins with the Dominion-backed Marcellus-to-Southeast Atlantic Coast Pipeline and both plants are expected to consume an estimated 250,000 Dth/d.

The Brunswick and Greensville plants are part of the trend of coal-to-gas switching in the United States, particularly in the Southeast. In 2015, gas was reported to have made major gains in the power sector as low commodity prices and regulatory headwinds put downward pressure on coal-fired generation.

Dominion Generation Group CEO Paul Koonce  said, "The Brunswick Power Station is destined to be a workhorse, using combined-cycle technology that is clean and efficient and will produce reliable, low-cost energy for our 2.5 million customers."