Proposed power plant in Chesterfield County lands Virginia at a crossroads
Written by Dr. Lucas RF Henneman
Dominion Energy natural gas power plant in Greensville County, VA. Source: Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy is proposing a new electricity facility fueled by “natural gas” (methane gas) and oil near its recently retired coal power plant in Chesterfield, VA. Dubbed the “Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center Project”, the proposal is controversial, and for good reasons—the community that breathed decades of air pollution emissions from the coal plant is wary of another long-term fossil fuel neighbor. To understand the implications of Dominion’s proposal, it helps to understand the nationwide trends in electricity generation.
The nationwide shift away from coal use for electricity generation that began in the early 2010s and has continued through today has drastically cut air pollution emissions. These cuts have led both to healthier people—fewer air pollution-related deaths, for example—and lower greenhouse gas emissions that warm the climate.
Reduced reliance on coal has also helped decrease racial inequities related to the impacts of air pollution from burning fossil fuel, but I have found inequalities remain. Underserved communities across the United States continue to bear more burden of fossil fuel pollution than their wealthier, whiter counterparts.
Like utilities across the United States, Dominion Energy facilities are much cleaner than they were decades ago. A big part of this is increased use of methane gas, which has much lower emissions than coal when it is burned. For example, to produce the same amount of electricity, natural gas plants typically emit nearly 100% less particulate matter, an air pollutant harmful for health, and nearly 50% less CO2, a potent heat-trapping gas.
The thing is, natural gas is not a perfect solution. While it is less polluting than coal, it still produces air pollution emissions. Natural gas power plants are still noisy. Transporting natural gas requires pipelines or other infrastructure that is more often than not located in underserved communities. Methane leaks at gas wells and along pipelines are common. The methane leaks alone can undo climate-related gains of replacing coal with natural gas. Virginia law sets a requirement that the electric utilities be carbon free by 2045; since natural gas plants such as the one Dominion proposes has a lifespan of many decades, citizens are rightfully concerned about what the proposal says about the utility’s ability to meet the legal requirement.
A full switch to generating electricity from renewable sources—wind and solar—would solve many of these problems of pollution and inequalities but raise new ones. Intermittency is a big one; because the sun isn’t always shining and the wind isn’t always blowing, these technologies would need to be paired with battery storage to feasibly provide all of Virginia’s electricity. Dominion has shown some willingness to invest in renewable energy, for example in its ongoing build of the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project to be completed in 2026.
Dominion has justified the proposed methane gas plant by stating that the new facility is needed to meet electricity demand at peak hours, such as very hot or very cold days. The facility will include all environmental emissions control technologies required by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Still, the emissions requested on the air permit by Dominion are not insignificant.
At this stage, utilities like Dominion face a crossroads: should they boldly commit to a cleaner future or fall back on proven but more polluting technology that disproportionately affects some communities more than others? In the current transition period, in which renewables are becoming cheaper but technological innovation is still needed, decisions about long-term energy investments carry high importance in our ability to keep people healthy, stave off the worst climate impacts, and address existing air pollution-inequities. In pushing ahead with a proposal to build a natural gas and oil power plant, Dominion is committing to a piece of infrastructure that may pollute the air of Chesterfield for many decades and will continue driving a warming climate through CO2 emissions.
Dominion’s customers, including citizens of Chesterfield, are right to worry and demand that Dominion’s proposal is reviewed in consideration of the climate, human health, and environmental justice issues that the proposed facility raises. There is an opportunity for Dominion to be more forward-looking and give greater consideration to renewable alternatives that do not emit air pollution or CO2—our health, equity, and climate deserve more.
Authors
Dr. Lucas RF Henneman
Dr. Henneman is an Assistant Professor in the Sid and Reva Dewberry Department of Civil, Environmental, and Infrastructure Engineering at George Mason University
