Dominion Virginia Power

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A Dominion Virginia Power power plant is located in central Virginia, USA beside the James River at Dutch Gap.

Dominion Virginia Power is a power company primarily located in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The company's foundings date back to the beginnings of the United States and include such luminaries as James Madison and George Washington.

Even after a proposed rate increase of 3.9% (effective July 1,2007), Dominion's residential rates remain 15% below the national average. A typical residential customer, using 1000 kwh, would have a monthly bill of $90.59.

A recent law that the Virginia General Assembly enacted will limit Dominion Virginia's rate increases to 4% in 2008 and 2009.

A number of controversies have surrounded the company's decisions to develop new routes for its electric power transmission lines. If Dominion Virginia were to implement these, construction of such lines might displace people, adversely impact scenic views, and destroy many trees. On February 13, 2007, the Washington Post reported that the power company was planning to change the route of one such proposed power line in Northern Virginia to appease critics. However, U.S. Congressional Representative Frank Wolf (Republican - Virginia) and others remained opposed to the line.^[1]

A year later, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved on February 15, 2008 a controversial proposal for a Dominion Virginia transmission line that would travel above ground for 1.8 miles (2.9 km) along a wooded portion of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park between Leesburg and Clarks Gap in Loudoun County.^[2]^[3] Less than three weeks later, on March 4 and March 5, 2008, the Senate and the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed emergency legislation that ordered the SCC to approve the underground construction of the line along that section of the trail as part of a state-wide pilot program for the development of such types of transmission lines. Sponsored by Delegate Joe T. May (Republican - Loudoun), the legislation exempted the project from any requirements for further SCC analyses relating to the impacts of the route, including environmental impacts and impacts upon historical resources. The legislation went into effect when Virginia Governor Tim Kaine approved it on April 2, 2008.^[4]