Virginia wants 16 GW of storage, Dominion’s latest published plan offers 3.5 GW

Dominion Energy, the American utility headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, filed its 2026 integrated resource plan on October 15, updating its long-term energy roadmap.

Under scrutiny is Dominion’s preferred plan, which models roughly 3.5 GW of BESS additions over the next 20 years. While this has drawn headlines as a major utility storage commitment and part of the broader battery uptake, it falls short of Virginia’s statutory storage target in one of the world’s most significant data-center clusters dubbed Data Center Alley. Bloomberg estimated more than 300 facilities handle roughly half of the world’s internet traffic each day in the region, with considerable power demands.

In April, Gov. Abigail Spanberger signed legislation requiring Dominion to seek approval for 16 GW of short-duration storage by 2045, including 4 GW by the end of 2030. A separate 4 GW long-duration energy storage (LDES) requirement depends on the State Corporation Commission finding the technology viable and the targets achievable – and it has permitted Dominion to explore pilots with non-lithium technologies.

Dominion’s preferred plan includes the initial storage requirements, with further additions selected on cost. The IRP models future development, and its preferred model or portfolio also includes approximately 8.9 GW of new gas generation and 21 GW of solar PV.

Pushback

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) criticized the plan in an October 16 statement titled “Customers deserve better than Dominion’s dirty energy vision.”

“Dominion also plans to build just 3 gigawatts of battery storage, despite a law passed this year that requires Dominion to build nearly five times that amount of storage by 2045,” the organization said.

SELC senior attorney Grayson Holmes questioned the proposed spending on gas generation and its implications for customers.

“Instead of working towards a clean energy future, Dominion prefers to spend billions on new fossil fuel power plants and to increase emissions significantly, primarily to serve new data centers,” Holmes said.

“A dirtier future and higher bills are not in the best interest of customers, nor do they align with state law. But it seems Dominion prefers not to follow the law if it doesn’t suit their bottom line. Virginians deserve better.”

Dominion has received approval for approximately 170 MW of company-owned BESS projects and has around 50 MW operating. Another 459 MW has been approved under power purchase agreements.

The plan also comes as Dominion pursues its proposed $67 billion merger with NextEra Energy. Shareholders have approved the transaction, which remains subject to regulatory approval and has drawn political opposition.