The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was a planned natural gas pipeline slated to run 600 miles (970 km) from West Virginia, through Virginia, to eastern North Carolina. It was canceled in July 2020.
60-650: Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC was the developer and planned operator of the pipeline; the company was a joint venture between Dominion Energy and Duke Energy , with Dominion serving as the lead stakeholder. The proposed route was to begin in Harrison County, West Virginia , drawing gas from wells in the Utica and Marcellus gas fields, and travel southeast through eastern Virginia and North Carolina to its terminus in Robeson County, North Carolina . The route would have crossed
120-724: A wooded portion of the Washington & Old Dominion Railroad Trail between Leesburg and Clarks Gap in Loudoun County , which Dominion again claimed was necessary for power reliability. 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
180-798: A 501(c)3 organization in July 1997. In 2007, Appalachian Voices joined with four regional organizations in Virginia to fight construction of a 585-megawatt coal-fired power plant that the state's largest utility was seeking to build in Wise County, Virginia . Along with Chesapeake Climate Action Network , the Sierra Club ’s Virginia Chapter, the Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards, and the Southern Environmental Law Center ,
240-467: A 605 MWe coal fired power station in Wise County, Virginia in June 2008. As of December 2009 , the construction had reached the halfway point, with the plant scheduled to be fully operational in mid-2012. Dominion calls the plant the " Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center ," which has been criticized by environmentalists as a way to make the plant sound environmentally friendly. The plant does however have
300-710: A final discharge permit called a National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for the Brayton Point Power Station requiring significant reductions in thermal discharges to, and water intake from, Mount Hope Bay . In 2002, Dominion was responsible for 1,110,703 pounds of gastrointestinal or liver toxicant emissions, 1,440,000 pounds of musculoskeletal toxicant emissions, and 1,489,763 pounds of suspected respiratory toxicant emissions, and 1,478,383 pounds of suspected skin or sense organ toxicant emissions among other emissions that are suspected to be hazardous. Appalachian Voices Appalachian Voices
360-725: A more unified energy company. In 2007, as part of another effort to refocus on core electric and gas operations, Dominion sold most of its Houston -based natural gas and oil exploration and production business for pre-tax proceeds of nearly $ 14 billion. Its onshore US oil and gas reserves were sold in separate deals to Loews Corporation and to XTO Energy , while its Gulf of Mexico reserves were sold to Eni , and its Canadian reserves were sold to two Canadian trusts. Dominion still retains some production areas in Appalachia , however. In February 2016, Dominion Resources announced that it would be acquiring Questar Corporation . The acquisition
420-606: A news publication covering environmental and cultural news in the central and southern Appalachian region . The Appalachian Voice publication was started in Boone, North Carolina in February 1996 by Harvard Ayers and Than Axtell as part of the now-defunct Southern Appalachian Highlands Ecoregion Task Force, a chapter of the Sierra Club . Ayers, seeing "a need for an advocacy organization that could focus exclusively on local issues related to Appalachia," officially founded Appalachian Voices as
480-578: A regulated monopoly . In 1940, VEPCO doubled its service territory by merging with the Virginia Public Service Company. The transit operations were sold in 1944. In 1980, VEPCO began branding itself as "Virginia Power," while branding its North Carolina operations as "North Carolina Power." Three years later, VEPCO reorganized as a holding company, Dominion Resources. By 1985, Dominion split its distribution operations among two operating companies: Virginia Power (operating in Virginia and
540-652: A total enterprise value worth $ 14 billion. Dominion has four operating segments: Dominion generates electricity for both regulated sale in its Virginia and North Carolina markets, and also for wholesale in other markets in the Northeast and Midwest United States. Electricity generation is the largest unit of Dominion. Dominion is a regulated electric utility that transmits, and distributes electricity from its power plants in Virginia , North Carolina, Connecticut, and West Virginia to customers. Dominion Exploration and Production
600-568: Is also waiving late and reconnection fees. The company has also directed its charitable foundation to provide $ 1 million in aid to help individuals and organizations fighting COVID-19. The $ 1 million will be offered to national groups like the American Red Cross and local organizations the company identifies. A number of controversies have surrounded the company's decisions to develop new routes for its electric power transmission lines. On February 13, 2007, The Washington Post reported that
660-432: Is an American environmental organization . Their stated environmental concerns include eliminating air pollution , ending mountaintop removal , cleaning up coal ash pollution and promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency . The organization has offices in Boone, North Carolina , Charlottesville, Virginia , Norton, Virginia , and Knoxville, Tennessee . Appalachian Voices publishes "The Appalachian Voice,"
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#1732855934080720-748: The Appalachian Trail and the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and included a lateral extending east to Chesapeake, Virginia, bringing the total length to about 600 miles (970 km). The pipeline was proposed to have a 42 inches (110 cm) diameter for much of its length, with the southern end in North Carolina measuring 36 inches (91 cm) wide. It would have had a capacity of about 1,500,000,000 cubic feet (42,000,000 m) of gas daily. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline originated in September 2013 when
780-651: The Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia) and North Carolina Power (operating in North Carolina). In 1986, Dominion gained territory by expanding in Northern Virginia after purchasing the Virginia distribution territory of Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO). In 1987, the West Virginia assets of Dominion were sold to Utilicorp United becoming branded as West Virginia Power, but Dominion retained ownership of
840-512: The Mount Storm Power Station in West Virginia. (In 1999, West Virginia Power would be sold to Allegheny Energy and folded into its Monongahela Power subsidiary; it and other Allegheny Energy subsidiaries have since been acquired in 2010 by FirstEnergy .) Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dominion initiated a series of expansions into regulated and non-regulated energy businesses, both domestically and internationally. During that era,
900-848: The US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals rescinded two approvals permitting the pipeline, one from the Fish and Wildlife Service and another from the National Park Service regarding crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway . The fact that the proposed route crossed beneath the Appalachian Trail generated significant legal difficulty, and the Supreme Court reversed the Fourth Circuit's ruling on the Forest Service's permit process, deciding that
960-632: The Western United States , including parts of Utah and Wyoming, in September 2016. In January 2019, Dominion Energy completed its acquisition of SCANA Corporation . The company's asset portfolio includes 27,000 megawatts of power generation, 6,000 miles (9,700 km) of electric transmission lines, 54,000 miles (87,000 km) of distribution lines, 14,000 miles (23,000 km) of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 1.2 trillion cubic feet (34 km ) equivalent of natural gas and oil reserves. Dominion also operates
1020-708: The 2008 report (Dominion ranked 27th with a Toxic Score of 58,642) and the 2005 report (Dominion ranked 19th with a Toxic Score of 117,712) In December 2007, a settlement between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dominion Energy of Brayton Point called for the company's power generating plant to install new closed cycle cooling towers that provided significant protection to aquatic organisms in Mount Hope Bay , which flows into Narragansett Bay . The 2007 settlement resolved an ongoing dispute that began in 2003. The EPA issued
1080-656: The Appalachian Trail's segment through the George Washington National Forest was a right-of-way on land belonging to the Forest Service rather than land part of the National Park System where pipelines may not be built. The permit to cross the Blue Ridge Parkway was still pending. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline was one of the priority infrastructure projects of the Donald Trump administration, and
1140-646: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline have begun direct, nonviolent action to oppose it. Bill and Lynn Limpert, who own 120 acres of property near the pipeline's planned route, organized a summer encampment titled "No Pipeline Summer: Camp to Save the Limperts’ Land.” The encampment, which lasted through the summer of 2018, was composed of visitors opposed to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline or the Mountain Valley Pipeline . One major lawsuit filed in opposition to
1200-522: The Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. The National Congress of American Indians also issued a formal resolution calling for permitting activities to cease until regulators engage in meaningful consultation with the Haliwa-Saponi and other tribes living along the proposed route. Overall, approximately 30,000 Native Americans live in census tracts located within one mile of the proposed route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Communities that would be affected by
1260-587: The Dominion PAC donated a total of $ 814,885 with 56% going to Republicans and 41% to Democrats . In 2008, the PAC donated $ 539,038 with 50% going to Republicans and 47% to Democrats. In the 2016 election cycle, the PAC contributed $ 1,276,016.17 to various political candidates and committees. Lobbyists for Dominion worked to pass West Virginia's Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, a 2021 law creating felony penalties for protests targeting oil and gas facilities, which
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#17328559340801320-643: The Obama administration granted a request from Dominion Transmission to export gas to Japan and India. The proposal was announced on record at West Virginia County Commissioner Meetings on May 27, 2014, in Lewis County, West Virginia, on July 1, 2014, in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, and on August 7, 2014, in Randolph County, North Carolina, and the developers began the application process for regulatory approval
1380-494: The Trail itself was considered only to be a right of way within the national forest, and the USFS had authority to issue the permit. Other parts of the original lawsuit remain valid, such as the arbitrary and capricious consideration of the USFS decision. On July 5, 2020, Dominion Energy and Duke Energy announced that they would cancel the project due to legal uncertainty and delays concerning
1440-655: The U.S. In 2017, Dominion was listed at #238 on the Fortune 500 . A book about the company's 100-year history, Dominion’s First Century: A Legacy of Service , was published in 2010. In 2022, 18 percent of Dominion's total electric production came from coal , 23 percent from nuclear power , 48 percent from natural gas , and 11 percent from Hydro and other renewables. A strategy is being developed for renewable energy sources, primarily wind and biomass , and conservation and efficiency programs to play an increasingly important role in meeting future energy needs and minimizing
1500-599: The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) issued its decision to approve Dominion 's proposed 1.8 billion dollar power plant despite Dominion having no plan to capture the millions of tons of carbon dioxide the plant would release. In the following months, Appalachian Voices, along with the Southern Environmental Law Center , Sierra Club , Chesapeake Climate Action Network , and Southern Appalachian Mountain Stewards submitted three court filings against
1560-488: The act through reporting, recordkeeping, and monitoring since 1993. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the plant. Although the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center was ultimately approved, the public pressure generated by the coalition temporarily led to dramatic reductions in permitted pollutant limits, including: In 2016, Appalachian Voices partnered with Duke University and SkyTruth to study
1620-639: The administration backed Dominion Energy throughout the appeal process. Dominion Energy had hoped to have completed the pipeline, which was to be built in sections, by late 2021, with service by early 2022. Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC claimed that the project will generate $ 28 million per year in local tax revenue, 17,240 construction-based jobs, and 2,200 jobs in other fields. Plans for the pipeline led to protests from landowners in its path, largely in Virginia. An anti-pipeline group, "All Pain No Gain," raised money to run radio and television advertising in opposition of
1680-610: The analysis failed to identify disproportionate impacts, leading an academic researcher to highlight links between the flawed analysis and the failure of regulators and developers to adequately consult tribal governments. The same researcher noted similarities between tribal consultation issues surrounding both the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Dakota Access Pipeline . Individual tribal governments and North Carolina's Commission of Indian Affairs have raised formal concerns to federal regulators about lack of government consultation on
1740-606: The area serviced by the imported gas would not cause additional leaks in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia suburbs. In 2010, the Political Economy Research Institute ranked Dominion Resources 51st among corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States . Dominion's Toxic Score of 16,656 (pounds released × toxicity × population exposure) represents a significant improvement from both
1800-622: The company also established itself as a world-class operator of nuclear power stations . In 2000, Dominion bought Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG) of Pittsburgh , and added natural gas service to its energy delivery network in the energy-intensive markets in the Northeastern quadrant of the U.S. In 2001, Dominion bought Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Company , adding to its natural gas delivery network. Dominion re-branded all of its operations in 2000 to Dominion from Virginia and North Carolina Power as well as Consolidated Gas in order to create
1860-731: The company's environmental footprint. Dominion's corporate roots reach back to the Colonial era through predecessor companies that operated canal and river barging, street lighting, railways, and electric trolleys. In 1787, the Virginia General Assembly created the Appomattox Trustees to promote navigation along the Appomattox River . In 1795, the trustees formed the Upper Appomattox Company to build dams along
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1920-736: The country's second offshore wind project, but the first of its kind to be installed in federal waters, sited roughly 27 miles off the Virginian coast. Dominion currently has two turbines constructed as a pilot project, planning for all turbines to be in place by 2026. In December 2020, the keel was laid for the project's novel Jones Act -compliant offshore WTIV , the Charybdis , under construction at Keppel AmFELS shipyards in Brownsville, Texas . The Dominion Political Action Committee (PAC) has been very active in donating to Virginia candidates. In 2009,
1980-648: The emissions, as well as a fly ash dump near the Clinch River (a source of drinking water) are also of concern. The plant would also continue to support mountaintop removal coal mining. Supporters, including Governor Tim Kaine , stated that as one of the largest importers of electricity, Virginia could become less dependent on importing electricity from other states with a new power plant. The plant brought 1000 workers to build, and will employ 130 full-time, as well as pay 4 to 7 million dollars of tax revenue yearly to economically depressed Wise County. In September 2008,
2040-526: The following month. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) for the project on December 30, 2016, with a final EIS issued on July 21, 2017, after a period of public comment on the draft. Developers had hoped to begin construction in late 2017 and to begin gas transport in late 2019, and the project cost was originally estimated at $ 5.1 billion. Legal proceedings stalled construction, however, and expected costs ballooned to nearly $ 8 billion. On August 6, 2018,
2100-534: The groups formed the Wise Energy for Virginia Coalition to oppose the plant. The coalition’s focus on the Wise County plant made it “by any standard, the biggest environmental controversy in Virginia today,” according to the state's largest newspaper, The Virginia Pilot . The coalition built a grassroots base of more than 45,000 Virginians who signed a “Mile-Long Petition” in opposition to the plant. In March 2008,
2160-903: The installed pipe in place and keep the easement agreements they had purchased from landowners along the pipeline route, including those secured through eminent domain . This leaves open the possibility that the project could potentially be revived at a later date. Dominion Energy Dominion Energy, Inc. , commonly referred to as Dominion , is an American energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of Utah, Idaho and Wyoming, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Dominion also has generation facilities in Indiana , Illinois , Connecticut , and Rhode Island . The company acquired Questar Corporation in
2220-616: The line, saying that there was no real need, and that Dominion was trying to bring cheap electricity from the Midwest . Dominion contested, saying that the line would bring needed electricity to growing Northern Virginia . The proposal was accepted by the State Corporation Commission (SCC) on October 7, 2008. On February 15, 2008, the SCC approved a controversial proposal for a 230 kV Dominion Virginia transmission line that would travel above ground for 1.8 miles (2.9 km) along
2280-400: The most stringent air permit for any coal fired power plant in the nation currently. The plant will burn up to 20% biomass along with coal and a small amount of waste coal known as gob . The plant's carbon dioxide emissions are currently projected to be 5.4 million tons per year. High levels of mercury emitted from the plant, which is controlled by activated carbon injection to reduce
2340-535: The nation's largest natural gas storage facility, amounting to more than 975 billion cubic feet (2.76 × 10 m ) of storage capacity. The company's Cove Point liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal on the Chesapeake Bay is one of the nation's largest and busiest facilities of its kind. Dominion serves more than 5 million retail energy customers in the Midwest, mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions of
2400-452: The pipeline in July 2020, citing cost increases due to lawsuits, largely from environmental groups opposed to the project. Dominion is constructing a massive offshore wind farm off of the coast of Virginia , the project being named Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind , or CVOW. This project will add more than 2,600 megawatts of clean energy to their grid, with 220 wind turbines capable of powering 650,000 homes at peak. This project will be
2460-476: The pipeline was due to permits granted by the United States Forest Service (USFS) to allow a 0.1 miles (0.16 km) run of the pipeline to cross about 600 feet (180 m) under the Appalachian Trail . A coalition of environmental groups filed suit against the USFS and the development group on several grounds, including that the decision to issue the permit was arbitrary and capricious and that
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2520-528: The pipeline, and dozens of landowners attempted to block surveyors from their property, though the pipeline's developers filed lawsuits against them, and Virginia law permits surveying on private property, as well as the use of eminent domain in construction. Local community groups, including Nelson County, VA -based Friends of Wintergreen, a not-for-profit group representing the largest residential and recreational communities in Virginia, retained national pipeline engineers and environmental specialists to demonstrate
2580-566: The pipeline, as well as criticizing the EIS for not addressing the risks of building a pipeline through unstable karst terrain prone to sinkholes and landslides. An official at Dominion Energy, said that the pipeline route had been adjusted 300 times, for a total of 250 miles (400 km) of rerouting, since its original draft in order to accommodate "environmentally sensitive areas" and other concerns. Exaggerated claims of job creation were challenged by student reporters in West Virginia. Critics note that
2640-404: The plant. In 2009, the Supreme Court of Virginia ruled in favor of Dominion and the plant. On January 11, 2010, Appalachian Voices and allies filed against the plant's air quality permits, citing the large amount of carbon dioxide released by the facility. The group used Massachusetts v. EPA to argue that carbon dioxide is a Clean Air Act pollutant, and it has been subject to regulation under
2700-438: The power company was planning to change the route of one 500 kV transmission line to appease critics in Northern Virginia from a route that would cut through protected forest and farmland to a southern route that would bypass nature preserves and Civil War sites by running adjacent to existing power lines. However, U.S. Congressional Representative Frank Wolf ( R - VA) and Governor Tim Kaine ( D ) remained opposed to
2760-443: The program recognizing top company volunteers. Dominion honors the volunteers by paying $ 1000 to the charity of the individual's choice. In 2016, twelve employees from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia were selected. In 2020, Dominion responded to the coronavirus pandemic by stopping service disconnects for non-payment and helping customers who had been disconnected for not making payments to reconnect to its service. It
2820-479: The project's costs. On the same day, Berkshire Hathaway Energy announced it had reached an agreement to acquire Dominion Energy's gas transmission and storage business for $ 9.7 billion. Berkshire Hathaway did not acquire the incomplete Atlantic Coast Pipeline as part of the deal. At the time of cancellation, easements for 98 percent of the route of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline had been secured and 31.4 miles of pipe had already been installed. The utilities plan to leave
2880-550: The proposed route disproportionately impacts Native Americans, including members of the Meherrin, Haliwa-Saponi, Coharie, and Lumbee Tribes of North Carolina. Data from the EIS show that Native Americans make up over 13% of the population living in census tracts located within one mile of the proposed route through North Carolina while constituting only 1.2% of the state's population. Although the EIS contained an environmental justice analysis as required by federal Executive Order 12898 ,
2940-408: The risks before opening the plant. In 2005, Washington Gas claimed that the natural gas imported at the plant was too "hot," meaning that it contained fewer heavy hydrocarbons and burned hotter. Washington Gas said that the hot gas caused problems for its customers and caused many of its mains to break. Dominion denied that the imported gas was the cause of the breaks and stated that expanding
3000-490: The river for industrial use, beginning Dominion's history. In 1901, the water rights passed to the newly formed Virginia Passenger & Power Company. Dominion's closest direct corporate ancestor, Virginia Railway & Power Company, was founded by Frank Jay Gould on June 29, 1909. It bought Virginia Passenger & Power soon afterward. In 1925, the name was changed to the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO),
3060-661: The site was blockaded by activists from the Rainforest Action Network . In 2001 when Dominion's Dominion Cove Point LNG subsidiary was scheduled to reopen, many local residents were concerned about the proximity (only 3 miles) to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant , and the damage that could be caused by an attack or an explosion at the plant. Residents thought that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did not consider
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#17328559340803120-421: The size of the deal is estimated at $ 10 billion. In February 2022, Dominion Energy sold one of its subsidiary, Dominion Energy West Virginia, to Hearthstone Utilities Inc. for $ 690 million. Hearthstone will continue operations in West Virginia under the name: "Hope Gas". In September 2023, Enbridge agreed to acquire East Ohio Gas, Questar Gas , and Public Service Co. of North Carolina, from Dominion for
3180-627: The special use right of way authority for the lands of the Appalachian Trail, considered part of the National Parks System, could not be granted. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit ruled in favor of these groups on several grounds, including that the Trail was a national park and outside the USFS' jurisdiction. The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court , which found in United States Forest Service v. Cowpasture River Preservation Assn. in June 2020 that
3240-411: The technical infeasibility and inappropriateness of the project in western Virginia. Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club , Southern Environmental Law Center (a Charlottesville, Virginia-based non-profit), and Appalachian Voices , also expressed opposition. After the issuance of the draft EIS, a Sierra Club official said that the developers had not proven the demand for the gas transported by
3300-558: The underground construction of the line along that section of the trail as part of a four-part statewide pilot program for the development of underground transmission lines. Sponsored by Delegate Joe T. May ( R - 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. The company began constructing
3360-505: The year 2022. The program was launched under the authority of the Grid Transformation & Security Act, a state law signed by Virginia Governor Ralph Northam . "The law paves the way for expanded investments in renewable energy , smart grid technology, a stronger, more secure grid and energy efficiency programs . . ." In July 2020, Dominion announced plans to sell natural gas transmission and storage assets to Berkshire Hathaway ;
3420-457: Was a partner in a joint venture that planned to build the 600 miles (970 km) Atlantic Coast Pipeline , a natural gas pipeline to run between West Virginia and North Carolina. Though the project had faced stiff opposition from environmental and community heritage groups along its route, ground was broken on the pipeline in Lewis County, West Virginia, in May 2018. Dominion and Duke Energy canceled
3480-509: Was completed in September 2016. In 2017, Dominion Resources rebranded itself to Dominion Energy, following with a new logo. In January 2018, Reuters reported that Dominion Energy would be buying SCANA Corporation for $ 7.9 billion.; the acquisition was completed in January 2019. In the summer of 2018, Dominion Energy launched a "grid transformation program." The program's aim was to build 3,000 megawatts worth of new solar and wind energy by
3540-580: Was described by its sponsor John Kelly as having been "requested by the natural gas industry". Dominion's social investment program is carried out primarily through the Dominion Foundation, which gives about $ 20 million each year to charities in the states in which Dominion does business. Dominion also has the Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program. 2017 was the thirty-third year of
3600-457: Was the natural gas and oil exploration and production subsidiary of Dominion, and by 2007 was one of the largest independent natural gas and oil operators. During 2007, Dominion sold the majority of its oil and natural gas exploration and production assets to put additional focus on growing its electric generation and energy distribution, transmission, storage and retail businesses mainly in Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Dominion
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