Overview
Virginia is building one of the nation’s most ambitious power portfolios to supply the largest data center concentration in the world. Dominion Energy’s 2024 IRP charts a path to add 12.2 GW of solar, 3.5 GW of offshore wind beyond the already-under-construction Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, and five small modular reactors starting in 2035, all while maintaining 5.9 GW of new gas-fired generation for reliability. Northern Virginia’s transmission grid is racing to keep pace, with multiple 500 kV and 230 kV projects underway to support over 20 GW of contracted data center load.
Generation Projects
Natural Gas
Dominion’s 2024 IRP includes 5.9 GW of new gas-fired capacity to maintain grid reliability as renewable generation expands.[1]
Nuclear
Dominion and Amazon signed an MOU to explore SMR (small modular reactor) development at the North Anna nuclear site, tied to an RFP evaluating technical and regulatory feasibility.[2] Dominion’s long-term plan includes five SMRs starting in 2035.[1]
Solar
Dominion’s IRP portfolio calls for 12.2 GW of solar additions by 2039, reflecting Virginia’s Clean Economy Act mandates and the scale needed to meet data center renewable energy targets.[1]
Wind
The 2.6 GW Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project is now under construction, featuring 176 turbines off the Atlantic coast.[3] Dominion plans an additional 3.5 GW of offshore wind beyond CVOW.[1]
Transmission and Grid
Dominion’s Morrisville–Wishing Star project will add a new 500 kV line along 36.5 miles of right-of-way, a new 230 kV line in Fauquier County, and an expanded Morrisville substation to support Northern Virginia load growth.[4]
The Virginia SCC has multiple Northern Virginia transmission cases pending, including the Golden–Mars 500/230 kV lines, the Hornbaker 230 kV loop, and the Culpeper Technology Zone 230 kV loop — all driven by data center demand.[5]
Battery Storage
Swift Current’s 150 MW Prospect Power Storage facility in Rockingham County is scheduled for 2026 and will sell output to Dominion under a 15-year PPA — the largest storage project in PJM when it comes online.[6]
Dominion’s storage portfolio includes a 12 MW pilot at Scott Solar, 2 MW pilots in New Kent and Hanover counties, and SCC-approved projects totaling 70 MW.[7]
Data Center Power Agreements
Amazon Web Services backs long-term PPAs for the 100 MW Amazon Solar Farm Virginia – Southampton and the 80 MW Amazon Solar Farm – Eastern Shore, both supplying AWS data centers in Virginia.[8]
Microsoft’s 315 MW solar PPA in Spotsylvania County (Pleinmont I and II) remains a benchmark for corporate renewable energy agreements in the state.[9]
Interconnection Queue
Dominion’s IRP shows a contracted data center pipeline of 7,570 MW in SELOAs (service extension letter of agreement), 5,835 MW in CLOAs (construction letter of agreement), and 8,012 MW in ESAs (electric service agreement) as of July 2024.[1]
PJM queue pressure and the scale of Northern Virginia transmission dockets indicate that interconnection timelines and local grid buildouts are critical bottlenecks for new data center campuses.[5][6]
What to Watch
- North Anna SMR timeline: Amazon and Dominion’s RFP outcome will signal whether SMRs can meet 2030s data center timelines.
- Offshore wind beyond CVOW: Dominion’s IRP includes 3.5 GW of additional offshore wind — watch for site selection and permitting.
- Northern Virginia transmission approvals: SCC decisions on Golden–Mars, Hornbaker, and Culpeper lines will determine how fast data center campuses can connect.
Sources
[1] Dominion Energy Virginia, “2024 Integrated Resource Plan,” 2024-10-15, https://www.dominionenergy.com/-/media/content/about/our-company/irp/pdfs/2024-irp-w_o-appendices.pdf (accessed 2026-01-08).
[2] Dominion Energy, “Dominion Energy and Amazon to explore advancement of Small Modular Reactor (SMR) nuclear development in Virginia,” press release, 2024-10-16, https://investors.dominionenergy.com/news/press-release-details/2024/Dominion-Energy-and-Amazon-to-explore-advancement-of-Small-Modular-Reactor-SMR-nuclear-development-in-Virginia/default.aspx (accessed 2026-01-08).
[3] Dominion Energy, “Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind,” n.d., https://coastalvawind.com/ (accessed 2026-01-08).
[4] Dominion Energy, “Morrisville–Wishing Star 500 & 230 kV Electric Transmission Project,” n.d., https://www.dominionenergy.com/about/delivering-energy/electric-projects/power-line-projects/morrisville-to-wishingstar (accessed 2026-01-08).
[5] Virginia State Corporation Commission, “Transmission Line Projects,” n.d., https://www.scc.virginia.gov/consumers/public-utility/electricity-faqs/transmission-line-projects/ (accessed 2026-01-08).
[6] Ethan Howland, “Swift Current lands $242M in financing for PJM’s largest storage project,” Utility Dive, 2025-09-04, https://www.utilitydive.com/news/swift-current-financing-storage-pjm-dominion-virginia/759218/ (accessed 2026-01-08).
[7] Dominion Energy, “Battery Storage,” n.d., https://www.dominionenergy.com/about/delivering-energy/electric-projects/energy-grid-transformation/battery-storage (accessed 2026-01-08).
[8] Community Energy, “Amazon Solar Farm Virginia – Southampton” (project page, includes Eastern Shore PPA details), n.d., https://www.communityenergyinc.com/projects/amazon-solar-farm-virginia-southampton (accessed 2026-01-08).
[9] Peter Maloney, “Microsoft inks largest corporate solar PPA for 315 MW project in Virginia,” Utility Dive, 2018-03-23, https://www.utilitydive.com/news/microsoft-inks-largest-corporate-solar-ppa-for-315-mw-project-in-virginia/519790/ (accessed 2026-01-08).