Dominion Energy Virginia narrows search for pumped storage project location to Tazewell County site

Dominion Energy Virginia said Tuesday that it had narrowed its search for a location for its proposed pumped hydroelectric storage power station to an East River Mountain site in Tazewell County but continues to evaluate construction at the site.

The company said it will spend the remainder of the year and part of next year conducting more extensive surveys of the site, which will include an examination of potential water sources in the area, starting with an investigation of Wolf Creek in Bland County.

“Based on our research thus far, we are encouraged about the potential for the Tazewell site to support a pumped storage facility,” Mark Mitchell, vice president of generation construction at Dominion Energy, said.

The company also said that it plans to expand its search for a water source to fill and maintain the station’s two reservoirs.

According to a study by Richmond-based firm Chmura Economics & Analytics, a 10-year development and construction timeframe could create more than 2,000 jobs in Southwest Virginia and result in approximately $320 million in total economic impact for the region, along with about $12 million annually in tax revenue for local governments.

Dominion Energy also said that it will not pursue a similar but smaller project it had been considering at an abandoned coal mine site in Wise County. The decision was based on an analysis of the site by the Virginia Center for Coal & Energy Research, which found that the Bullitt Mine is not suitable for a utility-scale pumped storage project.