Clean Virginia: State Corporation Commission Should Reject Dominion’s Request to Scale Down Energy Efficiency Spending
Virginia’s utility monopoly seeks to deduct “lost revenue” from energy conservation programs
March 19, 2019
Richmond, VA – Clean Virginia expressed its opposition today to Dominion Energy’s latest filing to the State Corporation Commission (SCC), in which Dominion is attempting to scale down its commitment to energy efficiency projects.
As part of negotiations to pass the 2018 Grid Transformation and Securitization Act allowing Dominion to continue withholding approximately $300-400 million each year in consumer overcharges, Dominion made a $870 million commitment to new energy efficiency projects. Now, it is attempting to decrease that commitment, claiming a loss in projected revenue if it increases the efficiency of its systems. Currently, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy ranks Dominion 50th out of 51 large-scale national utilities in energy efficiency efforts. Increasing energy efficiency is a low-cost and low-risk solution to meeting energy demand while saving money for consumers.
Clean Virginia Executive Director Brennan Gilmore said,
“The latest SCC filing from Dominion shows why it has lost the public’s trust. While Dominion is good at making public promises that appeal to everyday Virginians, once it’s time to make good on those promises, we watch as the monopoly searches for loopholes and scales back its commitments. This latest move by Dominion is yet another example of the monopoly prioritizing excess profit over the public interest. ”
“Dominion’s request to the State Corporation Commission is an attempt by the monopoly to cheat Virginians, the same Virginians who Dominion overcharges by hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Dominion’s revenues should not be reliant on inefficient energy production, but rather on providing quality services for Virginians. A broken promise from Dominion won’t help ratepayers who are demanding lower energy bills and improved energy efficiency.”
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Contact:
Cassady Craighill, Clean Virginia Communications Director
828-817-3328