RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Dominion Energy Virginia is planning to spend around $33 million to build four electric power battery storage projects at three sites in central Virginia.
Dominion executives said in an interview this week that battery storage has the potential to improve the resiliency of the electrical grid. They say it can also help integrate renewables like wind and solar, which the company has pledged to expand.
The company is required to propose a battery storage program as part of a 2018 overhaul of the state’s electric utility regulation. It submitted an application with state regulators Friday.
If approved, the projects in Ashland and Powhatan and New Kent counties are expected to be operational in December 2020 and then would be evaluated over five years. They will test different uses for batteries.
