Dominion Energy Virginia, Harrisonburg Electric Commission partner to provide community solar

Published on November 13, 2020 by Chris Galford


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A first-of-its-kind, long-term power purchase agreement reached with Dominion Energy Virginia will see it provide 1.4 MW of solar power generation to the Harrisonburg Electric Commission (HEC) community solar program.

“More renewable energy on the grid is a benefit to everyone in the Commonwealth and will help move us toward a cleaner energy future,” Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia, said.

Dominion Energy will own and operate a facility on land owned by the City of Harrisonburg, Va. It will allow HEC to purchase power that will then be used to supply HEC members with power that is both locally produced and renewable. The plan will not have to wait long to be put into action, as it has already received approvals from the Harrisonburg City Council, and only a decision from the VMEA Board remains.

As a result, construction should begin early next year. In the meantime, HEC will begin designing a Community Solar Program to meet its needs and begin reaching out to customers to gauge interest and weigh feedback on its options.

“We are very pleased with this arrangement, which met all of our goals with respect to solar within our community. Our primary objective was having it located within our footprint, physically offsetting energy that would have otherwise been purchased through our existing delivery points,” Brian O’Dell, general manager of the HEC, said. “I appreciate their willingness to partner with us in this fashion. Located in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley, we know our customers are seeking ways to reduce their carbon footprint, and this project will go a long way in that effort. This has been in the works for over a year and a half, and it’s good to get it to the final stages.”