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{{#badges: CoalSwarm | WaterEnergy}}
=Contact Information=
'''Corporate Headquarters'''
<br>Dominion
<br>120 Tredegar Street
<br>Richmond VA 23219
'''Dominion Transmission Gas'''
<br>Dominion Transmission Inc.
<br>445 West Main Street
<br>Clarksburg, WV 26301
<br>(304) 627-3000
'''Dominion Virginia Power (or Dominion North Carolina Power)'''
<br>120 Tredegar Street
<br>Richmond VA 23219
<br>1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357)
[http://www.dom.com/ Dominion's Web site]
{{Infobox Company
| company_name = DominionEnergy
| company_logo = [[Image:Dominion.jpg]]
| company_type = Methane gas drilling, oil and coal
| location = Richmond, VA
| locations = Clarksburg, WV
| revenue = $15.7 2 billion
}}
'''Dominion''' is a giant in energy production. The Richmond, Virginia-based company focuses on electricity, coal and gas, and most recently, nuclear. It is involved in the controversial practice of [[fracking]] for methane gas in the Northeastern U.S. in the [[Marcellus Shale]] region. Dominion is also one of the biggest producers of coal in the U.S., with the majority of mines located in West Virginia. (More information about its coal production can be found below at the Dominion Coal Production section on this page. ) Though lauded as an environmentally-friendly alternative to coal, fracking for gas has been linked to depleting drinking water resources of local communities and polluting the wells of the people living around drill sites. According to a 2010 article in Vanity Fair, "as use of the technique (fracking) has spread, it has been followed by incidents of water contamination and environmental degradation, and even devastating health problems." <ref>[http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/06/fracking-in-pennsylvania-201006 "A Colossal Fracking Mess"] Vanity Fair 2010.</ref> And according to data released to the EPA, [[Halliburton]], a major supplier of fracking fluid, admitted using 807,000 gallons of diesel-based chemicals in its fluids, in violation of an agreement drillers had with the EPA.<ref>[http://motherjones.com/blue-marble/2010/11/halliburton-fracking-epa "Fracking Halliburton"] Mother Jones.</ref> __TOC__ ==Ties to the American Legislative Exchange Council== '''Dominion''' is a former corporate funder of the [[American Legislative Exchange Council]] (ALEC), and member of ALEC's [[Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force]]<ref>American Legislative Exchange Council, [http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/eea_35daymailing%20dc.pdf Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force Roster], organizational task force membership directory, October 27, 2010, p. 10, obtained and released by Common Cause April 2012</ref>. See [[ALEC Corporations]] for more. {{about_ALEC}}
==Executive Summary==
Dominion and its subsidiaries - Dominion North Carolina Power, Dominion Virginia Power, Dominion East Ohio, Dominion Hope, Dominion Peoples, Dominion Cove Point LNG, Dominion Clearinghouse, Dominion Exploration & Production, Dominion Gathering-Producer Services, Dominion Generation, Dominion Retail, Dominion Technical Solutions and Dominion Transmission - account for the majority of power east of the Mississippi. Dominion Exploration and Production, Dominion Peoples and Dominion Transmission are the subsidiaries that focus on [[fracking]]. It also owns the nation’s largest natural methane gas storage system. <ref>[http://dom.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=870 “Dominion agrees to sell its Appalachian E&P business for $3.475 billion”,] Dominion press release, March 15, 2010.</ref> In 2010, Dominion sold the majority of its Marcellus land leases and wells to CONSOL/CNX and PNG. It has been reporting annual revenues of between $14.8 billion and $16 billion a year over the past five years. Its and its CEO is one of the wealthiest executives in the U.S., with a net worth of over $2 billion. Dominion has also been accused of polluting private drinking water by contaminating it with methane gas. Dominion and its executives have also been very active in making partisan political donations, predominantly in favor of Republicans. This company, headquartered in Virginia, has invested significant funds in elections in Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, all states with large shale deposits, and its PAC was a major spender in the election of the new governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Corbett.
===Sale of Dominion Peoples===
On February 1, 2010, Dominion closed on an agreement to sell its Dominion Peoples, the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based methane gas distribution subsidiary, to PNG Companies, LLC for $780 million."<ref name="dpeop">[http://www.rttnews.com/ArticleView.aspx?Id=1196813 "Dominion Resources Closes Sale to PNG,"] RTT News, February 1, 2010</ref>" Dominion expects to bring in $542 million after taxes and plans to use the money to reduce the company’s debt."<ref name="dpeop"/> Dominion chairman, president, and CEO Thomas F. Farrell II stated, “We are not leaving Pennsylvania by any means. We are expanding our large natural gas transportation and storage system in the state to handle the influx of gas from the Marcellus Shale and other new sources.”<ref name="dpeop"/>
===Sale of Exploration & Production to CONSOL Energy===
On March 15, 2010, CONSOL announced the purchase of [[Dominion|Dominion’s]] Exploration & Production business for $3.475 billion.<ref name="daep">[http://dom.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=870 “Dominion agrees to sell its Appalachian E&P business for $3.475 billion”,] Dominion press release, March 15, 2010.</ref> The sale included 193 employees working for Dominion.<ref name="daep"/><ref name="cedaep">[http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66439&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1402230&highlight= “CONSOL Energy to acquire Dominion’s Appalachian E&P business for $3.475 billion in cash”,] CONSOL Energy press release, March 15, 2010.</ref> The transaction includes 1.46 million acres for oil and gas drilling with over 9,000 already-producing wells. This transaction includes 491,000 acres of land in the [[Marcellus]] shale formation of Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and almost triples the amount of land rights CONSOL owns in the [[Marcellus]] area. According to CONSOL’s press release, this purchase will make the company the largest producer of natural gas in the Appalachian basin and give CONSOL “a leading position” in the [[Marcellus]] area. [[Bank of America]], [[Merrill Lynch]] and Stifel, Nicolaus & Company were financial advisors for CONSOL, while [[Barclays]] Capital Inc. advised Dominion.<ref name="daep"/><ref name="cedaep"/> Legal counsel for CONSOL came from Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz and [[Akin Gump]] Strauss Hauer & Field LLP.<ref name="cedaep"/> [[Baker Botts]] LLP served as Dominion’s legal adviser.<ref name="daep"/>
==Partisan Political Activity==
Between 2009 - 2010, Dominion's PAC gave $107,770 to candidates and PAC front groups who support the lax laws surrounding fracking in the Marcellus Shale region. $30,000 of that went to the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee and $30,000 went to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Another $5,000 went to a PAC called GAS.<ref>[http://www.marcellus-shale.us/political-contributions.htm "Marcellus Shale Political Contributions"]</ref>
[http://209.190.229.99/pacs/lookup2.php?cycle=2010&strID=C00108209 Open Secrets] shows that in 2010, Dominion's PAC contributed $1.1 million to mainly Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas candidates for running for Congress and Senate. The 2008 election year saw just under $1 million spent on candidates and PACs.
The biggest recipients of Dominion's PAC were: Senator Don White (R-Pa and Environmental Resources and Energy Committee member), Senator Joseph Scarnati (R-Pa), Governor Tom Corbett (R-Pa), Congressman Tim Murphy (R-Pa and member of the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy), Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) and Senator Dominic Pileggi (R-Pa and Majority Floor Leader).
The Dominion Political Action Committee has also been very active in donating to Virginia candidates. In 2007, the Dominion PAC donated $775,000, which was split evenly between Republican and Democratic candidates.<ref>[http://www.vpap.org/committees/profile/home/526 "Dominion" The Virginia Public Access Project] accessed February 2009.</ref> In 2008 it contributed $675,000 to candidates, with 47% to Democratic Party candidates and 50% to Republican Party candidates.<ref>[http://www.vpap.org/committees/profile/home/526?start_year=2008&end_year=2008&lookup_type=year&filing_period=all "Dominion: 2008"], The Virginia Public Access Project, accessed February 2009.</ref>
===Political Donations by Company Execs===
Between 2007 and 2009, $831,699 in lobbying cash was given to politicians by Dominion, according to Common Cause's "Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets" report released in May 2010.<ref>[http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7Bfb3c17e2-cdd1-4df6-92be-bd4429893665%7D/MARCELLUSSHALESTUDY.PDF Common Cause, "Deep Drilling, Deep Pockets]</ref>
[http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?lname=Dominion+Resources&year=2010 Open Secrets] shows a more comprehensive list and totals lobbying contributions at $1.7 million for 2010. The bulk of the money went to Dominion's PAC and $$45,000 went to McGuireWoods LLP. 2009 saw an even higher lobbying price tag: $2.1 million.
==Front Groups==
Dominion is a supporter of several special interest groups that push for expanded drilling rights and limited or no regulation of [[fracking]].
The company is a member of: West Virginia Oil and Natural Gas Association,<ref>[http://www.wvonga.com/WhoWeAre/BoardofDirectors.aspx "WVONGA Board of Directors"]</ref>, Independent Oil & Gas Association of West Virginia,<ref>[http://www.iogawv.com/board.cfm "IOGAWV Members"]</ref>, Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation,<ref>[http://www.ingaa.org/cms/25/963.aspx "INGAA Members"]</ref>, Southern Gas Association,<ref>[http://www.southerngas.org/ "Southern Gas Association"]</ref>, American Gas Association,<ref>[http://www.aga.org/Pages/default.aspx "American Gas Association"]</ref>, Virginia Coal and Energy Commission,<ref>[http://www.energy.vt.edu/board.html Virginia Coal and Energy Commission"]</ref>, Virginia Coal and Economic Development Authority,<ref>[http://leg2.state.va.us/dls/h&sdocs.nsf/fc86c2b17a1cf388852570f9006f1299/bbfc7b56f9e8b15c852572ba0060ec71/$FILE/RD111.pdf Virginia Coal and Energy Development"]</ref>, and the Marcellus Shale Coalition.<ref>[http://www.pioga.org/service-directory/#D "Marcellus Shale Coalition"]</ref>
==Claimed Violations of Safety Rules or Other Laws==
===Penalties===
On April 1, 2013, Dominion agreed to pay a $3.4 million civil penalty and spend $9.75 million on environmental mitigation projects to resolve Clean Air Act violations at coal-fired power plants in three states. The affected power plants are the [[Kincaid Generating Station]] in Kincaid, Illinois, the [[State Line Plant]] in State Line, Indiana, and the [[Brayton Point Station]] in Somerset, Massachusetts. Under the settlement, Dominion must install or upgrade pollution control technology on two plants, and permanently retire the State Line plant. The EPA said the settlement will result in reductions of nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter by more than 70,000 tons per year.<ref>[http://ens-newswire.com/2013/04/01/dominion-energy-must-pay-14-million-for-air-pollution/ "Dominion Energy Must Pay $14 Million for Air Pollution,"] ENS, April 1, 2013.</ref>
===Health and Safety Violations Alleged===
'''2010''': "After negotiating for a decade, Dominion Transmission is suing nine property owners who refuse to sell oil and gas rights the company says it needs to protect natural gas stored in a large underground reservoir in West Virginia. The defendants are in five states - West Virginia, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana and Alabama - and have minority interests in the oil and gas under a combined 136 acres near Buck Run in Lewis County. Since 1956, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has allowed natural gas to be stor ed in the Gantz sandstone formation in Lewis County. Various producers pump gas into the Fink Storage Reservoir, where it's kept until demand picks up - typically in the winter months. Dominion maintains the reservoir but does not own the gas. U.S. District Judge John P. Bailey has scheduled jury selection for next April 12, 2011 in Elkins, West Virginia."<ref>[http://www.pressconnects.com/article/20100827/NEWS11/100827017/Dominion-sues-gas-owners-protect-storage-site "Dominion sues gas owners to protect storage site", Aug. 27, 2010]</ref>
{{Template:Violation_Tracker}}
==Revenue and Profits==
*'''Paul Ruppert''': ''Senior Vice President of Dominion Transmission'' - Ruppert has been at Dominion since 1987. He started as a field worker in Weston, W.Va., and became an engineer in Production in Clarksburg, West Virginia. He became director of Engineering Services in 2000 and vice president of Pipeline Engineering & Plant Operations for Dominion Transmission in 2003. He was named to his current position in June 2009. Ruppert is also a board member of the '''Interstate Natural Gas Association of America Foundation'''.<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/pdf/Ruppert.pdf "Ruppert Dominion Bio"]</ref>
*'''Thomas F. Farrell, II''': ''CEO, Chariman and Director'' - Farrell has been a director of Dominion since 2005. He has been chairman, president and CEO of Dominion since 2007. "Farrell served as president and CEO of Dominion from January 2006 to April 2007, president and chief operating officer from January 2004 to January 2006, and prior to that, executive vice president. He is chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Virginia Electric and Power Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Dominion, and was chairman, president and CEO of '''CNG''', a former wholly-owned fracking subsidiary of Dominion. Farrell is also a director of Altria Group, Inc."<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/board-of-directors.jsp "Dominion Board of Directors"]</ref>
*'''Mark F. McGettrick''': ''Executive Vice President and CFO'' - His areas of responsibility include treasury, accounting,tax, investor relations, risk management, business planning and financial analysis. McGettrick joined Dominion in 1980 and has held a variety of management positions in Distribution Design, Accounting, Financial Planning, Customer Service and Generation. He previously served as president of Dominion Resources Services, Inc. and was CEO of the company’s Dominion Generation operating segment before assuming his current post in June 2009.<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/pdf/McGettrick.pdf "McGettrick Bio"]</ref>
*'''David A. Christian''': ''CEO of Dominion Generation'' - "Christian joined Virginia Power in 1976 and has held a variety of management positions with Dominion. Before assuming his current position in June 2009, Christian was president and chief nuclear officer of the company’s Dominion Nuclear business unit from October 2007 to May 2009. Christian is chairman of the board of directors of Nuclear Electric Insurance, Ltd., and also serves on the NEIL executive and governance committees. He is a member of the board of directors of the Nuclear Energy Institute and is a board member of the Foundation for Nuclear Studies and the Dominion Foundation.<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/pdf/Christian.pdf "Christian Bio"]</ref>
*'''Paul D. Koonce''': ''Executive Vice President of Dominion Resources, Inc. and CEO of Dominion Virginia Power'' - Koonce oversees Dominion’s regulated electric transmission in Virginia and North Carolina. He was CEO of the company’s Dominion Energy operating segment before assuming his current position in June 2009. He also serves on the boards of the Southeastern Electric Exchange, The Yorktown/Jamestown Foundation Board of Trustees and Jobs for Virginia Graduates and the Regional Leadership Council for Smart Beginnings. He has served as past Chair of the '''Interstate Natural Gas Association of America''' and the '''Southern Gas Association'''.<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/pdf/Koonce.pdf "Koonce Bio"]</ref>
*'''James K. ‘Jim’ Martin''': ''Senior Vice President of Regulatory Affairs of Dominion Resources Services, Inc.'' - Martin's responsibilities include "oversight of state and federal regulatory strategy, filings, and proceedings, as well as Dominion’s NERC Compliance Oversight. He joined Dominion in June 2000 and was Senior Vice President of Business Development & Generation Construction for the company’s Dominion Generation operating segment before assuming his current position in April 2009. Martin came to Dominion from Peabody Coal Co. in St. Louis, where he was Vice President of Sales & Marketing. Martin serves on the World Affairs Council of Greater Richmond, the '''Virginia Coal and Energy Commission''' and the '''Virginia Coal and Economic Development Authority'''.<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/pdf/Martin.pdf "Martin Bio"]</ref>
*'''Anne E. Bomar''': ''Senior Vice President and General Manager of Dominion East Ohio'' - Bomar "oversees all aspects of Dominion East Ohio’s Methane gas distribution company. Bomar joined Consolidated Natural Gas '''(CNG)''' in 1985, and held various positions in Corporate Planning, Rates and Gas Procurement prior to joining the company’s legal department. As an attorney with CNG, Bomar spent nine years in Washington, D.C. practicing before the '''Federal Energy Regulatory Commission''' during the unbundling of interstate pipeline services. She served as Director of Rates & Certificates at CNG Transmission from May 1999 until CNG’s merger with Dominion Resources in 2000, when she was named Managing Counsel of Gas Transportation & Storage in the Dominion legal department. She assumed her current position in December 2009.<ref>[http://www.dom.com/investors/corporate-governance/pdf/Bomar.pdf "Bomar Bio"]</ref>
=Dominion Coal Production=
==Coal Waste==
=== VA OKs golf course made with coal ash from Dominion waste site===
{{#ev:youtube|Vf5AFyE6cw0|300|right|60 Minutes on coal waste and Dominion golf course|frame}}
In 2008, worries and complaints about water contamination from Chesapeake's Battlefield Golf Club at Centerville surfaced. Officials at the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) allowed developers to build the golf course with [[coal ash]]. Upon hearing of the complaints, a former employee said the DEQ attempted to limit the paper trail related to the project so the agency couldn't be blamed. The employee - Allen Brockman, a DEQ groundwater expert from 2001 to 2009 - said he saved e-mails that support his contentions. Brockman said the presence of any groundwater contamination on the golf course, which has been established, is enough for DEQ to declare the property an open dump site and to order all the ash removed, but that hasn't happened.<ref name="rm">Robert McCabe, [http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/former-worker-agencys-ok-use-fly-ash-unconscionable "Former worker: Agency's OK to use fly ash 'unconscionable'"] PilotOnline.com, October 3, 2010.</ref>
==Environmental Record==
{{#evpev:youtube|KSoPe3t5FPo|300|right|Resident Ida Halliburton on pollution from Dominion plant|right|210frame}}
Dominion was 19th on the Political Economy Research Institute's 2002 Toxic 100. The company was responsible for 15.15 million pounds of toxic air emissions in that year.<ref>http://www.peri.umass.edu/Toxic-100-Table.265.0.html</ref>
==Existing coal-fired power plants==
Dominion had 32 17 coal-fired generating stations power plants in 20052011, with 8,417 742 MW of capacity. <ref>[http://www.dom.com/about/stations/index.jsp "Dominion Generation"] Dominion, accessed November 14, 2011.</ref> Here is a list of Dominion's coal power plants with capacity over 100 MW:<ref>Environmental Integrity Project, [http://www.dirtykilowatts.org/Dirty_Kilowatts2007.pdf Dirty Kilowatts: America’s Most Polluting Power Plants], July 2007.</ref><ref>[http://carma.org/dig Dig Deeper], Carbon Monitoring for Action database, accessed June 2008.</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! align="left" | [[Mecklenburg Power Station|Mecklenburg]]
| align="center" | VA || align="center" | Mecklenburg || align="center" | 1992 || align="right" | 140 MW || align="right" | 828,000 tons || align="right" | 325 tons
|-! align="left" | [[Southampton Power Station|Southampton]]| align="center" | VA || align="center" | Mecklenburg || align="center" | 1992 || align="right" | 71.1 MW || align="right" | 242,193 tons || align="right" | 75 tons |-! align="left" | [[Wise County Plant]]| align="center" | VA || align="center" | Wise || align="center" | 2012 || align="right" | 585 MW || align="right" | N/A || align="right" | N/A |}
In 2006, Dominion's 10 major coal-fired power plants emitted 56.2 million tons of CO<sub>2</sub> (0.9% of ''all'' U.S. CO<sub>2</sub> emissions) and 179,000 tons of SO<sub>2</sub> (1.2% of ''all'' U.S. SO<sub>2</sub> emissions).
===Proposed coal unit closures and conversions===
==== Chesapeake Energy Center and Yorktown Power Station closures ====
Dominion announced on Sept. 1, 2011, that it plans to close two coal-fired power plants, the [[Chesapeake Energy Center]] and the [[Yorktown Power Station]], by 2016. Two of the four units at the Chesapeake center would be shut down by 2015 and the remaining two units would likely be closed a year later. The announcement also included plans to shut down one of two coal-fired units at the Yorktown Power Station by 2015 and convert the second coal-fired unit to natural gas. <ref> [http://dom.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1025 Dominion News] Dominion Power Co., Sept. 1, 2011. </ref>
Reaction to the announcement included applause from the Sierra Club and others fighting coal power in Virginia. "Dominion has clearly signaled that it's time to shift away from dirty and dangerous sources of energy that affect the lives of every Virginian," said Mary Anne Hitt, Director of the Sierra Club's Beyond Coal Campaign. <ref> [http://action.sierraclub.org/site/MessageViewer?dlv_id=184306&em_id=214664.0 "Sierra Club Celebrates Dominion Decision to Phase out Two Virginia Coal Plants"] Sierra Club Press Release, Sept. 1, 2011. </ref>
====North Branch Station====
In a December 2010 accord reached with the National Park Service and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Dominion volunteered to close its [[North Branch Station]] when the proposed [[natural gas]]-fired Warren County Power Station near Front Royal begins commercial operations, which is scheduled for late 2014 or early 2015. Emissions reductions credits from closing the station will be combined with various other offsets to be applied as the emission mitigation plan for the new power station. The agreement is conditioned upon the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board's approval of the air permit for the proposed station, other regulatory approvals and the construction and operation of the proposed station. The air board is expected to vote on Dominion's application for the Warren County air permit at its Dec. 17, 2010 meeting. The company anticipates seeking permission from the Virginia State Corporation Commission in 2011 to build the new power station.<ref name=prnw>[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dominion-virginia-power-offers-to-close-coal-fired-station-in-accord-over-proposed-gas-fired-power-station-closing-would-help-regional-air-quality-111197529.html "Dominion Virginia Power Offers to Close Coal-Fired Station in Accord Over Proposed Gas-Fired Power Station; Closing Would Help Regional Air Quality"] PR Newswire, Dec. 3, 2010.</ref>
North Branch was put in cold reserve status in August 2010, and has not been generating electricity. Without this agreement, the station could be returned to service in a short time if needed.<ref name=prnw/>
====Salem Harbor Station====
On November 18, 2010, Dominion said it expects to shut the [[Salem Harbor Station|Salem Harbor coal/oil-fired power plant]] in Massachusetts within five to seven years "as the high cost of keeping up with ever more stringent pollution rules could make it uneconomic to keep operating the plant," a company executive said. Dominion CFO Mark McGettrick also told investors that, in addition to the 738-megawatt Salem Harbor, the company may also close the 515 MW [[State Line Plant]] in Indiana. The first of the coal units still operating at both plants entered service more than half a century ago. The environmental regulations McGettrick referred to was the U.S. [[Environmental Protection Agency]]'s planned one-hour [[ozone]] rule for 2015-2017, known as the [[Transport Rule]]: "If that rule goes into effect, we do not plan to install expensive environmental controls at either of those two stations," Dominion spokesman Dan Genest told Reuters.<ref name=re>[http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSN1811822820101118 "Dominion to shut Mass. Salem Harbor coal/oil plant"] Reuters, Nov. 18, 2010.</ref><ref>[http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=12260293 "Old Plant Begins to Break Spell Over Salem, Mass."] Jay Lindsay, Associated Press, November 28, 2010.</ref>
In Feb. 2011, Dominion said it could retire the plant in June 2014 when the 2013-2014 forward capacity contract ends, if it cannot recover the cost of environmental upgrades needed to run after that date. In October 2010, Dominion filed what is known as a "permanent delist bid" that included a request to recover the cost of the environmental upgrades that would have allowed the plant to opt out of the 2014-2015 forward capacity auction. The ISO rejected that bid in January 2011.<ref>[http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/4900805 "Power plant could be shut down in 2014"] istock analyst, Feb. 17, 2011.</ref>
In May, 2011, Dominion announced that all four units of the plant, including the three units that use coal, would shut down by June 2014.<ref>Sean Teehan, [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2011/05/12/salem_harbor_power_station_scheduled_to_close_by_june_2014/?rss_id=Boston.com+--+Local+news "Salem Harbor Power Station scheduled to close by June 2014,"] Boston Globe, May 12, 2011</ref>
====State Line Plant====
In a May 2011 conference call with financial analysts, Dominion executives announced they had decided that, financially, it is not worth upgrading the [[State Line Plant]] to comply with the federal [[Clean Air Act]]. The company plans to shutter State Line as early as 2012 and no later than 2014.<ref name=mh>Michael Hawthorne, [http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2011-05-05/news/ct-met-coal-plant-shutdown-20110505_1_state-line-power-station-megawatts-of-pollution-free-wind-coal-plants "Aging Indiana power plant to shut down, cutting Chicago-area air pollution"] Chicago Tribune, May 5, 2011.</ref> In its 2011 financial documents, Dominion said it will shutter the plant by March 2012. The company opted in early 2011 to withdraw State Line from an auction for long-term electricity contracts. If it had included the plant in its bid, the company said, it would have needed to spend several million dollars installing new pollution controls, which they did not see as economical.<ref>Michael Hawthorne, [http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-coal-plant-early-shutdown-20111118,0,2436464.story "Air pollution: Chicago-area coal plant to shut down earlier than expected: State Line Power Station to close by March instead of 2014"] Chicago Tribune, Nov. 18, 2011.</ref>
===Biomass conversions===
Three Dominion plants are in the process of converting to [[Biomass as an alternative to coal]]. Dominion says that all of the biomass will come from waste wood or rejected material from paper mills and logging companies. <ref> Corey Nealon [http://www.dailypress.com/news/science/dead-rise-blog/dp-whats-behind-dominions-move-to-biomass-20110725,0,5037634.story?track=rss "What's behind Dominion's move to biomass?"] Newport News Daily Press, July 25, 2011.</ref> The Southern Environmental Law Center says that biomass holds some promise for improving the environment if safeguards and clear definitions of what constitutes a renewable energy source are put in place. Otherwise, the SELC said, "the use of biomass could backfire, turning mature forests into energy plantations, harming our water and wildlife, and increasing global warming emissions." <ref>[http://www.southernenvironment.org/cases/biomass_energy_in_the_south "Biomass Energy in the South"] Southern Environmental Law Center, July 1, 2011.</ref>
====Altavista Power Station====
In Feb. 2011, [[Dominion Virginia Power]] said it could reopen its 63 MW [[Altavista Power Station]] as a biomass electricity plant by 2013, and is starting the approval process. In Fall 2010, Dominion placed the Altavista station on “cold reserve status,” meaning it could be restarted if needed. At the time, [[Dominion]] was studying whether to convert the plant to a biomass facility. The study suggested that a biomass facility would be competitive economically against [[natural gas]] plants. If the town of Altavista grants Dominion’s special use permit request, the company said it will seek a new air permit and approval from the State Corporation Commission.<ref>[http://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/articledisplay/6843112006/articles/powergenworldwide/renewables/biomass/2011/02/dominion-biomass.html "Dominion could repower coal-fired unit to burn biomass"] Power-Gen, Feb. 14, 2011.</ref>
====Hopewell and Southhampton====
In April 2011, Dominion Resources announced that its subsidiary Dominion Virginia Power, has decided use biomass instead of coal in three of its power stations: [[Altavista Power Station]], [[Hopewell Power Station]] and [[Southampton Power Station]]. The plants will mainly use waste wood left from timbering operations as a source of fuel. If approved by the local authority and the regulators will begin production from the converted units in 2013. The units can presently produce 63 megawatts (MW) power each and are only used when demand is at its peak. After conversion, these units will produce 50 MW each.<ref>[http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/50561/Dominion+Unit+Converts+to+Biomass "Dominion Unit Converts to Biomass"] Zack's, April 4, 2011.</ref>
===Dominion and Environmental Justice===
====State Line Plant====
{{#evpev:youtube|n5eV_RH_FqY|300|right|Reverend Homer Calvin discusses air pollution problems|right|210frame}}
Immediately across Dominion's [[State Line Plant]] border is Chicago’s East Side neighborhood. The plant is about 12 miles southeast of downtown Chicago, with five schools and several parks within a mile of the plant. The neighborhood surrounding the plant is one of the poorest in Greater Chicago, and one of the major Latino population centers in the city, raising issues around [[environmental justice and coal]]. State Line is among over 100 [[coal plants near residential areas]].<ref>Jacqui Patterson, [http://climatejusticeinitiative.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/day-viii-clearing-the-air-road-tour%E2%80%94hammond-in%E2%80%94state-line-plant/ "Day VIII Clearing the Air Road Tour—Hammond, IN—State Line Plant"] NAACP Climate Justice Initiative, April 21, 2010.</ref>
* [[Upshur County Project]] (West Virginia) - cancelled
* [[Wise County Plant]] (Virginia)
=Contact Information=
'''Corporate Headquarters'''
<br>Dominion
<br>120 Tredegar Street
<br>Richmond VA 23219
'''Dominion Transmission Gas'''
<br>Dominion Transmission Inc.
<br>445 West Main Street
<br>Clarksburg, WV 26301
<br>(304) 627-3000
'''Dominion Virginia Power (or Dominion North Carolina Power)'''
<br>120 Tredegar Street
<br>Richmond VA 23219
<br>1-866-DOM-HELP (1-866-366-4357)
[http://www.dom.com/ Dominion's Web site]
==Resources==
===Related SourceWatch articles===
Source Watch has a special clearinghouse on fracking, [httphttps://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Portal:Water Fracking for Gas].
*[[Thomas F. Farrell II]]
===External Resources===
*"[http://newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/543390/Dominion-announces-expansion.html?nav=5054/ "Dominion announces expansion,"]"News and Sentinel
* [http://www.dom.com Dominion corporate website]
*[http://www.priceofoil.org Oil Change International]
*[http://www.appalachianvoices.org Appalachian Voices]
* Campaign Money.com<ref>[http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/527/range-resources-energy-independence-pac.aspCampaign Money.com]</ref>* Marcellus Shale.us<ref>[http://www.marcellus-shale.us/political-contributions.htm],"Marcellus Shale.us"</ref>]* Common Cause<ref>[http://www.commoncause.org],"Common Cause.org"</ref>]* Propublica<ref>[http://www.propublica.orgPropublica],"Propublica Web site"</ref>
{{Wikipedia}}
[[Category:Corporations]][[Category:Climate change]][[Category:Coal Issues]][[Category:Water]][[Category:Energy]][[Category:ALEC Exposed]][[Category:Power companies and agencies in the United States]][[Category:Nuclear power]]
