It is no secret that Northern Virginia is home to the largest data center market in the world—including facilities owned by some of the largest tech and finance companies in the world. Whether large or small, the companies operating data centers in the commonwealth want the electricity they rely on to be as clean as possible, as soon as possible. Dominion Energy is working diligently to make that happen.
We’ve committed to net zero carbon and methane emissions across our company by 2050. In Virginia, the Clean Economy Act (VCEA) requires a carbon-free grid by 2045, subject to the utility’s ability to maintain reliability. And make no mistake, we will never compromise on reliable service.
We’ve made substantial progress already. From 2005 through 2021, we slashed carbon emissions by 46 percent, and from 2010 through 2021, we cut methane emissions by 38 percent. (Figures through 2022 are being finalized.) Two decades ago, coal accounted for about half of our power generation. Today, it accounts for only 12 percent.
We’re also rapidly expanding our renewable energy resources while preserving the backbone of our carbon-free power—nuclear energy. Those include the second-largest solar portfolio in the nation among companies like ours and the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind commercial project: the largest offshore wind farm on this side of the Atlantic Ocean. Once fully constructed in 2026, it will generate more than 2.6 GW of electricity at peak production—and avoid up to five million tons of carbon emissions per year. And we’re extending the licenses of our zero-emitting nuclear power stations, which provide roughly a third of Virginia’s electricity—carbon-free power, around the clock.
But we’re not stopping there. We’re also testing and exploring cutting-edge, zero-emission energy sources, such as hydrogen and small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Last February, we expanded our net zero goals beyond our own immediate operations to include what are known as Scope 2 emissions—electricity we use, but don’t generate—and three material categories of Scope 3 emissions (those upstream or downstream from our operations). Those categories cover electricity purchased to power the grid, fuel purchased for our power stations and gas distribution systems, and natural gas used by our customers. These steps will ensure clean energy across our entire value chain.
Our concern for the environment also extends beyond emissions. Last year we achieved our best environmental performance on record, and we earned an A rating from CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) not only for our climate efforts, but also for our water conservation efforts.
