CHESAPEAKE, Va., Feb. 8, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion
Virginia Power will soon add more
solar power to its generation portfolio. The company is
partnering with SunEnergy1 to install 91,803 solar panels at a new
solar farm in Chesapeake– enough to power 5,000 homes. SunEnergy1,
a North Carolina-based company,
will lease the 250 acre site, located off Ballahack Road and U.S.
Highway 17. Dominion will purchase the output of the facility,
including energy, capacity and renewable energy credits, under a
20-year power purchase agreement.
"Our commitment to solar energy is an important part of the
future of our state," said Katheryn
Curtis, Dominion's senior vice president of Power
Generation. "This partnership with SunEnergy1 is another
significant step forward for Dominion as we plan for a low-carbon,
balanced and diverse generation mix."
Dominion is one of the nation's leading producers of solar among
publicly-traded utility companies according to SNL Financial,
Feb. 4, 2015. Solar is a key
component of Dominion's clean energy growth. In addition to this
solar project in Chesapeake,
Dominion has several other solar partnerships underway in
Hampton Roads including:
- Isle of Wight County, 19MW
Woodland Solar Center (subject to regulatory approval)
- Chesapeake, Western Branch
High School, 1MW system on its rooftop
- Landstown High School in Virginia
Beach, 1kW ground-mounted system
- Norfolk, Old Dominion University, 125kW system at student
recreation center
SunEnergy1 is one of the leading commercial solar energy
companies in the United States. It has extensive experience
in developing and operating photovoltaic (PV) solar systems.
"At SunEnergy1, we design and construct solar facilities with
first class quality and unmatched reliability," said
Kenny Habul, SunEnergy1 president
and CEO. "We are proud to partner with Dominion to bring new
solar solutions to Virginia."
Virginia native and stock car racing star Denny Hamlin is partnering with SunEnergy1 as an
investor in the project through Hamlin's Won One Energy
company.
"I see this as a great opportunity to invest in the energy
future of Virginia," said Hamlin, a 26-time winner on the NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series. "Solar is a fast-growing, renewable energy
solution that is establishing a larger footprint across the energy
industry. As a Virginian, I am proud of Dominion and
SunEnergy1 for bringing utility scale solar to the state."
The Chesapeake solar farm will
be a ground-mounted tracking PV system. Commercial operations
are expected to begin later this year.
About Dominion Virginia Power
Dominion Virginia Power is a
subsidiary of Dominion (NYSE: D), one of the nation's largest
producers and transporters of energy. Dominion has a
portfolio of approximately 24,300 megawatts of generation and 6,500
miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one
of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 933
billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves utility and
retail energy customers in 14 states. For more information about
Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.
About SunEnergy1
SunEnergy1, LLC is a full-service solar developer and
engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm located in
Mooresville, NC. SunEnergy1
specializes in the design and installation of utility-scale
ground-mount solar photovoltaic system. It has developed and
installed more than 350 MW of solar facilities to date. For
more information about SunEnergy1, visit the company's website at
www.sunenergy1.com.
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SOURCE Dominion Virginia Power