RPT 1810 DominionEnergyProfile-FNEMB

HOLD FOR RELEASE
Thursday, November 15 • 3pm ET
Dominion Energy's
POWER GRAB
HOLD FOR RELEASE • Thursday, November 15 • 3pm ET
About Food & Water Watch
F ood & Water Watch champions healthy food and clean water for all. We stand up to corporations that
put profits before people, and advocate for a democracy that improves people’s lives and protects our
environment. We envision a healthy future for our families and for generations to come, a world where all people
have the wholesome food, clean water and sustainable energy they need to thrive. We believe this will happen
when people become involved in making democracy work and when people, not corporations, control the
decisions that affect their lives and communities.
Food & Water Watch has state and regional offices across the country to help engage concerned citizens on the
issues they care about. For the most up-to-date contact information for our field offices, visit foodandwaterwatch.org.
National Office
1616 P Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 683-2500
Oakland, California Los Angeles, California Santa Barbara, California Ventura, California
155 Grand Avenue 915 Wilshire Boulevard 222 E Canon Perdido Street 940 E. Santa Clara Street
Suite 905 Suite 2125 Suite 207C Suite 202
Oakland, CA 94612 Los Angeles, CA 90017 Santa Barbara, CA 93101 Ventura, CA 93001
(510) 922-0720 (323) 843-8450 (323) 843-8456 (805) 507-5083
Colorado Florida Maryland New Jersey

1801 N. Williams Street 2655 6 Avenue South
th
3121 St. Paul Street 100 Bayard Street
Suite 400 Suite 200 Suite 28 Suite 202
Denver, CO 80218 St. Petersburg, FL 33712 Baltimore, MD 21218 New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(720) 449-7505 (954) 687-9224 (410) 394-7650 (732) 839-0860
New Mexico New York Illinois Pennsylvania

7804 Pan American 32 Court Street 670 W. Hubbard Street 1501 Cherry Street
East Freeway NE #2 Suite 1506 Suite 300 Second Floor
Albuquerque, NM 87109 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Chicago, IL 60654 Philadelphia, PA 19102
(505) 633-7366 (347) 778-2743 (773) 796-6086 (267) 428-1903
Oregon
1028 SE Water Avenue
Suite 245
Portland, Oregon 97214
(971) 266-4528
Copyright © November 2018 by Food & Water Watch. All rights reserved.
This report can be viewed or downloaded at foodandwaterwatch.org.
COVER PHOTO: DOMINION'S MOUNT STORM POWER STATION; BISMARCK, WEST VIRGINIA
Dominion Energy's Power Grab

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
From colonial beginnings to the creation of Dominion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Dominion’s portfolio of power and profits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Power plants and electric transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Gas and electric utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Dominion’s gas infrastructure fuels fracking boom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Powerful earnings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Environmental and climate urgency in Virginia . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dominion’s extraordinary political power in Virginia and beyond . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Dominion’s cornucopia of campaign cash and gifts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Dominion, its PACs and employees funnel money
to Congress, special interest groups and other states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dominion’s generosity greases Virginia legislative skids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Legions of lobbyists, front groups and hush money . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dominion’s well-oiled lobbying machine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Dominion’s astroturf and media campaigns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Dominion’s philanthropy provides political cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Dominion’s political muscle drives favorable (and lucrative) utility regulations . . . . . . . . . . . 10
The push for national electricity deregulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Dominion demands — and gets — deregulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Dominion pushes profitable 2007 re-regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
2015 rate freeze lines Dominion’s pockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Unfreezing the rates, but keeping regulators at bay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Dominion’s dominant role in fracked gas infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
The detested Atlantic Coast Pipeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
The potential perils of pipeline construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
The ACP will pose safety and health hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
Cove Point export terminal threatens community and the environment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
Dominion’s power plant risks: climate change, coal ash, fracking and more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Powering Dominion’s polluting plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Dominion’s continued coal reliance and toxic legacy of coal ash ponds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Dominion’s fracked gas future means more pollution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Dominion’s history of environmental violations and accidents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Dominion’s troubling nuclear experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Conclusion and recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Appendix Table 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Appendix Table 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Endnotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Marcellus and Utica shale basins in Ohio, Pennsylvania
Executive summary and West Virginia. The company’s Wexpro subsidiaries
Dominion Energy is one of the biggest U.S. utility in the Rocky Mountains even operated nearly 1,400 gas
companies and wields outsized political power in its wells — mostly relying on fracking.
home state of Virginia, where it has designed the rules This growing portfolio of natural gas assets locks the
that oversee its operations, padding its profits and United States into a fracked gas future that threatens
threatening the climate with a renewed commitment to the climate, destroys the environment along pipeline
fossil fuels. Dominion Energy’s coal-fired power plant routes and perpetuates the corrosive impacts of
legacy has polluted local communities and spewed fracking. Dominion’s other lowlights include:
climate-destroying greenhouse gases.
• Dominion has lavished politicians with at
Today, Dominion Energy and its subsidiaries and least $59 million over the past two decades:
affiliates (Dominion) are aggressively pushing another Dominion has spent at least $59 million since
fossil fuel — natural gas — to slowly replace the 1998 on campaign contributions, lobbying and
company's coal-fired operations. Dominion promotes gifts to influence Virginia legislators and officials,
the controversial hydraulic fracturing (fracking) gas the U.S. Congress and other states across the
drilling technique that has threatened communities country where it has operated. Nowhere is that
near drilling rigs with water pollution, air emissions and more evident than in Virginia, where Dominion
ecosystem degradation. Natural gas is no climate solu- has long been the biggest corporate contributor
tion: gas-fired power plants emit greenhouse gases, to political campaigns, a dominant lobbying force
and natural gas infrastructure like pipelines and power and a generous gift-giver to legislators and officials.
plants leaks the potent greenhouse gas methane that Dominion gave Virginia legislators over $430,000 in
warms the climate. meals, cocktails, conferences, sporting events and
Dominion has bought, constructed and is continuing hunting trips from 2008 to 2016, according to data
to build major fracked gas infrastructure across the from the Virginia Public Access Project — including
country including the Cove Point liquefied natural gas nearly $122,000 for Washington Redskins games.
export terminal in Maryland, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline • Dominion has repeatedly successfully crafted —
from West Virginia through Virginia to North Carolina, and recrafted — Virginia’s electric utility rules
and gas storage and processing facilities across the to benefit Dominion while driving up electric
VIRGINIA STATE CAPITOL • PHOTO CC-BY-SA © SKIP PLITT, C'VILLE PHOTOGRAPHY / FLICKR.COM
2 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

CLOVER POWER STATION, CLOVER, VA • PHOTO CC-BY-SA © DAVID HOFFMAN / FLICKR.COM
bills: Dominion exercised its political power to power plants have been rising steadily. Dominion’s
repeatedly reshape Virginia’s electric utility regula- carbon dioxide emissions from its current coal, gas,
tion over its key subsidiary Virginia Power, largely oil and biomass power plants have been trending
to pad its profits by preventing the state regulator upward, and in 2018 it purchased South Carolina
from protecting ratepayers from high electricity utility SCANA, adding to its coal and gas power plant
costs. portfolio.
• Dominion’s legacy of pollution continues to
The urgency of climate change requires a dramatic
threaten communities: Dominion’s power plants
shift away from fossil fuels, but not only is Dominion
have been significant polluters, and the company
increasing investments in gas-fired power plants and
has amassed millions of dollars in settlements with
gas pipelines, it has only modestly invested in wind
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
and solar power — and mostly outside of Virginia.
over alleged violations of the Clean Air Act. Coal
Only 0.3 percent of Dominion’s Virginia Power utility
continues to account for one-fifth of Dominion’s
capacity comes from solar energy, and although the
power capacity, emitting climate-altering gases and
company has a pilot offshore wind project in the works,
dangerous air pollutants. The company’s decades of
its massive gas-fired power plant under construction
coal combustion have generated mountains of coal
in Greensville County is over 100 times bigger than its
ash waste that can pose environmental and public
wind project.
health risks. Environmental testing has found that
Dominion’s coal ash ponds have leaked potentially Virginia and the nation must chart a decisive new
toxic coal residues into nearby water bodies. energy future that rapidly shifts to wind, solar, tidal
• Dominion’s climbing climate emissions: Despite and geothermal energy sources that have zero green-
Dominion’s slow shedding of dirty coal-fired power house gas emissions. The entrenched political power of
plants, it is building more gas-fired power plants, Dominion is the single greatest obstacle to charting a
and its total climate emissions from its fleet of clean energy future in the Commonwealth.
Dominion Energy's Power Grab 3

Introduction
Dominion’s history stretches back hundreds of years,
but today the company is emblematic of power politics
at its worst. As the biggest electric and gas utility in
Virginia, operating a sprawling network of fracked
gas infrastructure, Dominion exerts a powerful influ-
ence over the Virginia state legislature, ensuring weak
regulatory oversight that safeguards its profits while
electric bills continue to rise.
Dominion lavishes elected officials with campaign cash

and luxury trips and entertainment while fielding a
battalion of well-heeled lobbyists that have crafted and
passed its legislative agenda for the past two decades.
Today, Dominion’s power plants spew climate and air
pollutants across Virginia, and its pipelines and power
plants are promoting the expansion of the environ-
mentally destructive hydraulic fracturing (fracking) gas
drilling technique. The company uses its economic and
political muscle to entrench fracked gas infrastructure
that will stave off renewable energy investments and PHOTO CC-BY BILL SMITH / FLICKR.COM
lock Virginia into a fossil fuel future for decades to

the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), a
come.
state authority added to the Virginia state constitution
Dominion’s controversial projects like the Atlantic in 1902 to curb the power of railroad monopolies.5
Coast Pipeline, Cove Point export terminal, power The SCC had to approve Virginia Power’s takeover of
plants and electric transmission lines have been another large Virginia utility in the 1940s, which made
imposed on the people of Virginia — imperiling it one of the biggest utilities in the country.6
communities, seizing private land and threatening the
In 1983, Virginia Power created Dominion Resources,
environment and the climate.
spinning off a smaller firm to be the holding company
From colonial beginnings that was the parent of Virginia Power.7 It was an
unusual corporate move, where the Virginia Power
to the creation of Dominion spinoff, Dominion, owned its larger creator, the now
The roots of Dominion Energy stretch back to a subsidiary Virginia Power.8 In 1994, the SCC challenged
firm chartered to improve water transportation on Dominion’s effort to subvert the utility’s independence,
the Appomattox River in 1787.1 The company grew contending that it violated the SCC order that approved
through mergers with canal and river transporta- the creation of Dominion and could undermine the
tion companies, and by the end of the 1800s it was public interest.9
operating generators to power its electric streetcars.2
The SCC wanted Virginia Power to remain an inde-
Frank Gould, son of the infamous Gilded Age tycoon
pendent utility, but Dominion launched an aggressive
Jay Gould, became the majority owner of the Virginia
lobbying campaign to seize control of Virginia Power.10
Railway and Power Company by the beginning of the
The multi-year dispute ended in 1997, when Dominion
twentieth century, operating trolley lines and delivering
stacked the Virginia Power board with loyalists; the
residential electricity and gas. 3
SCC did not object to this corporate intrigue, cementing
The Virginia Electric Power Company (Virginia Dominion’s authority over Virginia Power.11 By the end
Power) was formed in 1925 when a syndicate of of the 1990s, Dominion was in charge and the SCC was
investors purchased and merged the Spotsylvania cowed.12 This set the stage for Dominion’s continuing
Power Company with the Virginia Railway and Power ability to steamroller the regulator for the past two
Company.4 Virginia Power quickly bumped up against decades.

gas.19 In contrast, solar power was less than 5 percent
Dominion’s portfolio of power and profits of Dominion’s total capacity, and the company had
Today, Dominion Energy and its subsidiaries and affili- built no wind power in the Commonwealth.20 While
ates (Dominion) is a Richmond, Virginia-based Fortune Dominion has been slowly shedding coal plants, it has
500 company that is one of the country’s largest energy been aggressively building more natural gas power
companies.13 Dominion brags that it is “one of the plants, including one in an economically distressed and
nation’s largest producers and transporters of energy” predominantly African-American county in Virginia.21
that provides natural gas, electricity and energy trans- Building additional natural gas power plants would
portation through its electric transmission lines and further accelerate greenhouse gas emissions and
gas pipelines.14 It has facilities in 19 states that generate cause irrevocable harm to the climate.22
energy, process and pipe natural gas, and deliver power
and gas to homes and businesses (see Map 1).15
Gas and electric utilities
Dominion’s electric and gas utility business has nearly
Power plants and electric transmission 6 million customers; about half were in Virginia and
Dominion operates 83 energy generation stations North Carolina, with the remainder spread across
including 21 large power plant complexes, mostly in Idaho, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Utah, West Virginia and
Virginia.16 These power plants are divided between its Wyoming.23 Dominion’s 2018 purchase of South
Virginia Power utility and another segment that sells Carolina-based utility SCANA included 1.6 million
electricity into local markets across the country (known utility customers in the Carolinas.24 But Virginia Power
as merchant power).17 Its total electric generation has a is the jewel in Dominion’s crown. Virginia Power
combined capacity of over 26,000 megawatts, making delivers power to almost two-thirds of Virginia electric
it the fifth largest utility in the country.18 In 2017, about customers and generates nearly two-thirds of the
two-thirds of Dominion’s total power plant capacity still company’s earnings and 80 percent of its cash.25
came from fossil fuels, including coal, oil and natural
MAP 1 • Dominion Energy National Footprint MW = Megawatt
ID: gas utility NY: Gas pipelines;

service and OH: gas utility service; gas storage
gas drilling WY: gas utility
gas pipelines;
service; gas RI: 468 MW
gas processing facilities PA: Gas pipelines;
pipelines and gas plant
and gas storage gas storage;
gas drilling
1,240 MW gas plant CT: 2,000 MW
UT: Gas pipelines; (selling in 2018) nuclear plant;
IN: 150 MW 15 MW fuel cell
gas utility service; CO: gas utility wind farm;
gas drilling; MD, VA, WV: facilty; 3 MW
service; gas 20 MW solar facility
See Map 2 solar facility
CA: 13 solar facilities 5 solar facilities pipelines and
with 199 MW with 299 MW gas drilling on page 14
TN: 2 solar facilities NC, SC: Atlantic Coast Pipeline;

with 22 MW 315 MW hydroelectric plant;
165 MW gas plant; 164 MW solar
facility; 2018 purchase of SCANA
electric utility in SC
GA: 2 solar
facilities with
18 MW
TX: Privatized
utility service
SOURCE: Dominion Energy Annual Report.

Perhaps no one has profited more handsomely than
Dominion’s gas infrastructure fuels fracking boom
Dominion’s chief executive and chairman Thomas
Dominion is now expanding to become a key player Farrell II. Farrell joined Dominion in 1995, during the
processing, storing and delivering fracked gas from the struggle to control Virginia Power, and rose to control
drilling wells in the Marcellus and Utica shale basins in the boardroom by 2007. 31 Farrell’s total compensa-
Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.26 Over the past tion from Dominion was almost $15.5 million in 2017
decade, the controversial drilling technique has super- (including nearly $100,000 worth of private travel in
charged a natural gas rush. For example, Pennsylvania, the company airplane) — 50 percent more than he
ground zero of the fracking boom, added more than received in 2015. 32
30,000 gas wells between 2000 and 2016.27
Farrell is a prominent figure in Virginia. He leads both
Dominion is fueling fracking through its sprawling the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the Virginia
network of gas infrastructure. In 2017, Dominion and Museum of Fine Arts and was appointed by both
its affiliates operated nearly 19,000 miles of inter- Republican and Democratic governors to serve on
state gas pipelines and gathering lines (collecting gas the University of Virginia board. 33 The $5 million Civil
from drilling operations) and an additional 51,800 War movie Field of Lost Shoes, which he co-wrote and
combined miles of distribution lines (utility gas lines that dramatizes cadets at the Virginia Military Institute
to customers).28 Dominion’s hotly contested Atlantic fighting for the Confederacy at the battle of New
Coast Pipeline (see page 15) and Cove Point export Market, received $1 million in tax credits and grants. 34
terminal (see page 17) are creating more demand for Farrell’s son, who was a Virginia state legislator
fracked gas, expanding the environmentally destruc- before stepping down before the 2017 election, was a
tive footprint across the Northeast. co-producer and even had a role in the movie. 35
Powerful earnings
Dominion has racked up substantial profits that have
Environmental and
risen about 60 percent over the past decade, from climate urgency in Virginia
$1.8 billion in 2008 to $2.9 billion in 2017.29 Dominion is pursuing this highly profitable fossil fuel
Shareholders have been handsomely rewarded. future while Virginia suffers the effects of a climate
Dominion’s shareholder return nearly tripled, rising crisis. Virginia is especially vulnerable to the destructive
182 percent from 2007 to 2017, far higher than the effects of climate change. Since 1970, Virginia average
typical 116 percent return for utility stocks. 30 temperatures have increased by more than 2 degrees
Fahrenheit (about 1 degree Celsius).36 Rising tempera-
tures and sea levels due to climate change have resulted
in saltwater intrusion, disappearing beaches, and more-
intense storms and floods in coastal Virginia.37 The
U.S. Geological Survey estimated that these rising sea
levels will “very likely” contribute to the loss of Virginia’s
barrier islands.38 Several highly populated coastal
Virginia communities will face chronic inundation of
seawater by the end of the century.39
Increasing temperatures contribute more frequent and

stronger extreme weather events.40 Over the past five
decades, heavy storm precipitation has increased by
27 percent in the Southeast and is expected to keep
rising.41 In 2003, the Hurricane Isabel storm surge
caused severe flooding in Fairfax County and flash
flooding of the South and Shenandoah rivers that
cost over $925 million.42 Sea-level rise contributed
to Hurricane Isabel’s greater damage compared to
FLOODING IN CENTRAL VIRGINIA, HURRICANE ISABEL, 2003
PHOTO CC-BY-NC-ND B3ND3R / FLICKR.COM previous and more powerful storms.43

Protracted higher temperatures will deliver worsening
detrimental health impacts.44 Climate change will make
extreme heat days more common in Virginia, exacer-
bating heart and lung disease that disproportionately
impacts senior residents.45 Climate change will also
worsen air and raise water temperatures that increase
the risk of vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease
and West Nile virus.46 The most vulnerable residents
— including lower-income populations and communi-
ties of color, who already endure disparate pollution
burdens — will experience the brunt of these impacts.47
Despite the ongoing climate crisis, Dominion is

expanding its fossil fuel footprint with more pipelines
and power plants that will lock Virginia into a fracked
gas future for decades. The sunk investment costs in
these new greenhouse gas emitters not only discour-
ages investments in clean, renewable energy, but also
magnifies demand for natural gas, encouraging more
fracking, pipelines and associated leaks of the potent
greenhouse gas methane.48
Dominion’s extraordinary
political power in Virginia and beyond to be completed in 2019, and the company's corporate
sponsorships include art venues, sports teams, school
Dominion has long been the dominant corporate
programs and an international bicycle race.54
donor and player in Virginia politics.49 The Richmond
Times-Dispatch reported that state “legislators agree Dominion facilities are often the single biggest source
that Dominion’s power is unmatched at the state of local tax revenue, which encourages boosterism
Capitol.”50 Dominion provides a gusher of campaign by local officials. For example, Dominion’s Cove Point
cash; showers legislators with gifts, meals and trips; tax payments would constitute 30 percent of Calvert
and fields a battalion of lobbyists. Food & Water Watch County, Maryland’s tax revenue (but it received a
estimated that since 1998 Dominion has spent at least considerable tax break for the first nine years).55
$59 million on campaign contributions, lobbying and The county officials supported a Cove Point pipeline,
gifts to influence Virginia, the U.S. Congress and states saying that Dominion had been “a proven community
across the country where it has operated.51 member.”56 Dominion’s Millstone reactor provides one-
third of the tax revenue to Waterford, Connecticut.57 In
Dominion’s largesse is eased by Virginia’s lax campaign
2018, Connecticut enacted legislation allowing the state
finance and conflict-of-interest rules. Virginia allows
to decide whether to make preferential nuclear power
unlimited corporate campaign donations and permits
purchases from Millstone (comparable to wind and
elected officials to vote on legislation affecting compa-
solar procurement preferences) after Dominion spent
nies in which they have substantial investments (as
nearly $1 million lobbying and threatened to shutter
long as other legislators have holdings as well).52 (See
the plant.58
Appendix for list of 2018 Virginia legislators’ campaign
contributions from Dominion and votes on key legisla- Dominion has boasted about its political muscle, stating
tion affecting Dominion.) that “we are proud of our participation as a company
and as individuals in the political process.”59 From 2017
Dominion’s political muscle is bolstered by its workers
to 2018, Dominion increased its Virginia lobbying, gift
and retirees who are constituents and voters, its philan-
and advertising expenditures 10-fold while successfully
thropic donations that fund civic improvements, and its
pushing to enact a law that was expected to substan-
role in the economy.53 Richmond, Virginia features two
tially increase customers’ electric bills.60
Dominion office towers, with a new building scheduled

The 2017 election cast Dominion in a more ominous
Dominion’s cornucopia light and marked a turning point for Dominion and its
of campaign cash and gifts political machinations. Public opposition to its divi-
Dominion has been the biggest corporate campaign sive Atlantic Coast Pipeline drew protestors at public
donor in Virginia over the past 20 years, but it has campaign events.69 Activate Virginia, a grassroots
been a significant player in Virginia politics since at Democratic campaign organization, launched a pledge
least the 1970s.61 Dominion’s political expenditures to get candidates to promise not to take campaign
have successfully pushed an agenda that benefits the contributions from Dominion.70 In 2017, more than
company’s bottom line. As former Republican Virginia 60 Democratic challengers for the Virginia House of
Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said of the company’s Delegates and all three Democratic candidates for lieu-
political activity: “Dominion’s investing. It’s paid off tenant governor pledged not to take Dominion political
handsomely.”62 campaign donations.71
From 1998 to mid 2018, Dominion’s political action Still, Dominion’s influences persisted. The Democratic
committee (PAC) and employees contributed over gubernatorial primary featured a pipeline opponent,
$10 million to Virginia candidates, campaigns and Tom Perriello, and Ralph Northam, who won the race
causes.63 The ample campaign generosity is bipartisan: while refusing to take a firm stand on the pipelines.72
86 percent of Virginia legislators have received cash Northam promised tougher environmental reviews
from its PAC and/or employees. Of the $2.7 million while promoting the alleged economic development
funneled to Virginia’s current lawmakers, 25 state benefits of the pipelines. Northam held between
legislators received more than half of the largesse. And $5,000 and $50,000 worth of Dominion stock before he
the top five recipients received nearly one-third of its was elected.73
contributions (see Table 1).64 Northam’s transition team included several people
Dominion has been especially supportive of affiliated with Dominion, and it donated at least
Virginia’s gubernatorial candidates. While Governor $50,000 to Northam’s inaugural committee.74 After he
Terry McAuliffe (D) refused to accept money from was sworn in, Northam’s campaign promise to perform
Dominion’s PAC as of 2009, he raised nearly $12,000 an in-depth review of the ACP route turned out to be
from Dominion executives and lobbyists.65 The merely a reaffirmation of a pre-existing federal study
president of Dominion had donated nearly $53,000 to that found that the route posed little environmental
the campaigns of Republican Bob McDonnell by the risk, with little additional state scrutiny beyond
time McDonnell ran for governor in 2009.66 In 2006, the federal oversight that critics said was far from
Dominion paid for then-governor (and current U.S. rigorous.75 Northam even reappointed the head of the
Senator) Tim Kaine’s trip to Indianapolis for a Final Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)
Four college NCAA basketball tournament game.67 In that signed off on the pipeline, even though the DEQ
2002, Dominion was one of only three company PACs director accepted a trip from Dominion to the Masters
to donate $50,000 to Virginia Governor-elect (and now golf tournament in 2014.76
Senator) Mark Warner’s inaugural celebration.68
TABLE 1 • Top 5 Virginia Recipients of Dominion Campaign Cash, 1998-2018

Dominion Total
State legislative Dominion PAC
Incumbent and party employee/ individual Dominion
body and district contributions
contributions contributions
Richard L. Saslaw (D) Senate District 35 (Fairfax) $255,500 $18,750 $274,250
Terry G. Kilgore (R) House District 1 (Wise County) $171,391 $25,250 $196,641
House District 66
M. Kirkland Cox (R) $106,611 $42,110 $148,721
(Chesterfield County)
Thomas K. Norment, Jr. (R) Senate District 3 (Hampton Roads) $92,990 $22,550 $115,540
R. Creigh Deeds (D) Senate District 25 (Charlottesville) $104,450 $5,850 $110,300

SOURCE: Food & Water Watch analysis of National Institute for Money in Politics data.

Dominion, its PACs and employees Dominion’s generosity greases
funnel money to Congress, special Virginia legislative skids
interest groups and other states Dominion has lavished gifts, entertainment and
Dominion also gives generously to Congress and trips on the Virginia legislature. Between 2008 and
elected officials in other states. Since 2007, Dominion’s 2016, the company spent over $430,000 on meals,
PAC and its employees contributed more than cocktails, conferences, sporting events and hunting
$8 million to other congressional candidates and lead- trips, according to data from the Virginia Public Access
ership PACs.77 After being one of the top 10 corporate Project.88 Dominion spent nearly $122,000 taking legis-
donors to Virginia Senator George Allen’s campaign, lators to Washington Redskins games and over $36,000
Dominion nominated his wife to the company’s to host lawmakers at the Masters golf tournament.89
board of directors in 2003.78 When Senator Allen was
Dominion’s big hospitality event has been an annual
appointed to the Senate Energy and Natural Resources
hunting trip to an exclusive hunting plantation in
Committee in 2005, Susan Allen resigned from
Georgia. Between 2008 and 2016, Dominion spent
Dominion’s board to avoid the appearance of a conflict
over $47,000 sending legislators to the Gillionville
of interest.79 The company has even provided more
Plantation quail hunting resort.90 It was profiled in
unique entertainment for politicians, like its lunchtime
Fortune as an “obscenely expensive” hunting resort for
circus performances for delegates from Maryland,
the wealthy to pursue quail on 10,000 manicured acres
Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia to the
with white-coated butlers, mule-drawn wagons and 30
2008 Republican National Convention.80
bird dogs with personal handlers.91 Dominion brought
Dominion has also poured approximately $31 million the powerful Virginia State Senator Thomas “Tommy”
into federal lobbying since 1999.81 And from 2010 to Norment to Gillionville several times.92 Norment was
2017, the company gave an additional $6.3 million to the Chairman of the Virginia Commission on Electric
professional associations to lobby on behalf of their Utility Deregulation, set up to monitor electricity regu-
interests.82 These associations — which included lations, and he sponsored at least two of Dominion’s
the American Gas Association, the Virginia Chamber legislative initiatives.93
of Commerce, Edison Electricity Institute and the
Marcellus Shale Coalition — cannot only lobby but Legions of lobbyists,
also engage in political activity under their tax code front groups and hush money
status that shields the identity of their donors, known
as “dark money” groups.83 Dominion donated another Dominion’s well-oiled lobbying machine
$1.4 million over the same period to political party The company’s lobbying operation is executed “with
and leadership PACs like the Democratic Governors extraordinary skill,” according to one Virginia political
Association and Republican Attorneys General analyst.94 In 2017, Dominion fielded six in-house
Association.84 lobbyists and paid for four hired-gun lobbyists from
In Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, outside firms.95 During the 2018 utility regulation fight,
Massachusetts, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin — other Dominion fielded 22 lobbyists, including hiring one of
states where Dominion has operated power plants — Governor Northam’s key political advisers.96
its PAC and employees have contributed at least This lobbying muscle includes a revolving door of former
$2.2 million to candidates, campaigns and causes in an state legislators and lawyers from blue-chip Richmond
attempt to influence the political system over the past law firms, giving the company access and credibility.97 In
two decades.85 For example, in 2005 Dominion’s execu- 2018, former delegate Jack Rust lobbied for Dominion
tives donated $43,650 to Wisconsin governor Jim Doyle and helped write the utility regulatory legislation that
after the state Public Service Commission rejected the was eventually enacted.98 Former delegate Melanie
company’s bid for a nuclear power plant; the PSC later Rapp moved to Dominion’s external affairs shop after
approved a modified bid.86 In Utah, where Dominion’s leaving the legislature in 2007.99 In 2005, then-governor
Questar Gas utility subsidiary operates, the company Mark Warner’s top lawyer left to work for Dominion,
was the largest donor to Governor Gary Herbert in joining its top lobbyist James W. Beamer, a former aide
2018.87 to Governor George Allen and a former finance director
of the General Assembly Republican Caucus.100

Dominion’s astroturf and media campaigns donations have been rising. In 2015, the company’s
Dominion supplements its lobbying and campaign foundation donated $15 million targeted solely to the
contributions with sophisticated public relations efforts states where it operated or had significant business
that amplify the voices of its shareholders and workers, interests.109 By 2017, those donations rose by one-third
including creating corporate-funded fake grassroots to $20 million.110 A large portion of these grants —
groups, called astroturf by real grassroots groups. $2 million — went to communities affected by the
Dominion’s spokesperson stated that “it’s not unusual Atlantic Coast Pipeline, which critics contended
for the company to encourage participation” including purchased political cover from local groups.111
“politically as part of the democratic process.”101 Some of these donations shored up environmental
Dominion poured money into polling, focus groups groups that might have been concerned about
and media ads to win the public relations battle for Dominion’s activities, while others shored up political
the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.102 In 2018 alone, it spent allies. In 2014, the company’s Ohio charitable largesse
$4.4 million on advertisements and media promoting included land conservation efforts on Lake Erie.112 In
its Virginia legislative agenda and its takeover of the 2011, Dominion’s foundation supported small grants to
South Carolina utility, including television ads during water conservation groups in Western Pennsylvania, the
the Super Bowl.103 A Dominion official bragged that heart of the fracking industry.113 In 2016, Dominion CEO
the company’s pro-Cove Point advertisements ran “so Thomas Farrell and Dominion’s foundation combined
often and in so many places that project opponents gave $125,000 to the Peter Paul Development Center,
became annoyed that they could not escape it.”104 which employed Virginia Delegate Lamont Bagby.114
Dominion also has pumped money into shell orga- These foundation grants can appear to buy support or at
nizations that downplay their direct industry ties in least buy silence from recipients, including environmental
order to create astroturf support for their projects.105 groups that might otherwise oppose Dominion’s dirty
Dominion, other Atlantic Coast Pipeline investors and energy operations. Organizations that receive dona-
the American Gas Association funded astroturf groups tions from Dominion often give testimony in support of
to engage the voters to “elect a pipeline” during the pro-Dominion bills.115 A North Carolina Boys & Girls Club
2017 Virginia elections.106 Dominion also sent 76,000 executive testified in favor of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline
mailers to its employees, shareholders and retirees after receiving a $10,000 grant from Dominion to repair
urging them to consider candidates’ pipeline posi- hurricane damage, but he contended that his support
tions when casting their 2017 vote.107 In 2018, these for the pipeline was unrelated to the financial support.116
Dominion supporters contacted state legislators to One supporter of a Potomac River environmental group
back the Dominion-drafted utility bill.108 wondered if its receipt of Dominion foundation funding
might have contributed to the group’s silence on a
Dominion’s philanthropy provides political cover Dominion fracked gas compressor station.117
Dominion’s plentiful charitable donations provide
additional leverage for its political causes — and those Dominion’s political muscle
drives favorable (and lucrative)
utility regulations
Dominion exercised its political power to repeatedly
reshape Virginia’s electric utility regulation over its key
subsidiary Virginia Power — each time adjusting the
rules to benefit Dominion while driving up electric bills.
It also has thwarted popular and progressive energy
measures. For example, Dominion ensured that utili-
ties (like its subsidiary Virginia Power) would be gate-
keepers for community-based solar projects instead
of allowing churches, apartment complexes or other
community organizations to develop and benefit from
DOMINION PRESENTS A $50,000 CHECK TO VIRGINIA ASSOCIATION FOR PARKS, 2013
PHOTO CC-BY VIRGINIA STATE PARKS / FLICKR.COM their own solar projects.118

But electricity deregulation — and various iterations
of re-regulation over coming years — was the big
legislative prize for Dominion as the company rode the
late-1990s wave of state electricity deregulation. When
that deregulation failed to deliver the benefits that
Dominion promised, the company promoted a series
of changes to Virginia’s utility law that confounded
regulatory oversight and ensured that its allies in the
legislature had the final say over utility regulation. In
the end, Dominion’s efforts created a system of such
light regulatory oversight that in 2017 Goldman Sachs
referred to Virginia as “one of the top state regulatory
environments for utilities.”119
Regulated utility companies once made money by

generating and delivering electricity to customers in YORKTOWN POWER STATION • PHOTO CC-BY © CARMEN SHIELDS / FLICKR.COM
their service area in exchange for the right to earn a Electricity deregulation encouraged utility companies to
reasonable profit for delivering power.120 Long viewed branch out from power delivery to the riskier business of
as a natural monopoly, electric utilities owned transmis- buying and trading energy.124 Dominion built new power
sion lines and power generation and distributed it to plants to sell electricity onto deregulated markets.125
consumers.121 State regulatory agencies like Virginia’s
State Corporation Commission (SCC) determined the In 2000, Dominion’s CEO told shareholders that the
profit margin for private utilities like Virginia Power company aimed to “dominate the Northeast market as
by setting the rate of return on electric infrastructure much as we can without going to jail for violating the
investments, and reviewed plans for proposed power antitrust laws.”126 The company was heavily involved in
plants. the same sort of wholesale power trading that brought
down Enron.127 But the downside of deregulation caught
The push for national electricity deregulation up with the company as the national deregulation
experiment unraveled with Enron’s collapse. Dominion
In the late 1990s, energy and utility companies pushed
estimated that Enron’s bankruptcy could cost the
to bust up the utility regulatory compact — a guaran-
company up to $97 million.128 At one point during 2002,
teed market and guaranteed return in exchange for
Dominion’s energy trading losses drove its stock down
regulated prices — and to replace it with an untested,
30 percent in six days.129
market-based plan to separate electricity distribution
(the utility delivery of power) from power generation The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 further
and marketing. These deregulatory proposals were entrenched electricity deregulation. It eliminated price
expected to boost power company profits. Former controls on wholesale electricity, ensured open access
Dominion Chairman William W. Berry was a leading to the interstate transmission grid and smoothed the
proponent of national electricity deregulation, and approval of power plants, transmission lines and gas
Dominion’s support was joined by Enron, one of the pipelines.130 It also repealed the New Deal’s protections
biggest deregulation champions, which salivated at the under the 1935 Public Utility Holding Company Act,
prospect of speculating on the wholesale electricity which had prevented utilities from gouging consumers
market and selling directly to consumers in the to fuel their speculative business expansions.131
$215 billion retail electricity market.122
Wenonah Hauter, now Food & Water Watch’s executive
In 1996, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission director, predicted at the time that these electricity
(FERC) required interstate electricity transmission deregulation schemes would be debacles. In 1999, she
companies to offer “open access” for any power said that the Dominion-backed deregulation proposal
company that wanted to sell electricity, creating a was “among the most anti-consumer bills” in any
massive incentive to generate and sell more elec- state.132 She was right. In Virginia, the Dominion-driven
tricity.123 This created a national wholesale market that deregulation and re-regulation has raised electric bills
transformed electricity into a speculative commodity. and bumped up Dominion’s profits.

Dominion demands —
and gets — deregulation
Cost recovery is a
While the FERC deregulated interstate power trans-
giveaway to Dominion
mission, the states started to deregulate utility Much of the Virginia electricity deregulation has
electricity. In 1997, Dominion started pushing for made it easier for Dominion to get ratepayers to pay
electric utility deregulation designed to let other for new power plants or other infrastructure. These
“cost recovery” provisions allowed Virginia Power to
power companies compete with Virginia Power for
deduct its expensive infrastructure investments from
customers — even though ratepayers had largely
its profits.149 Since the SCC regulates customer rates
financed the utility’s power plant and transmission based on Virginia Power’s profits, these deductions
networks that the new electricity marketers would essentially amount to an accounting trick that prevents
use.133 In theory, consumers would be more able to the SCC from being able to give rebates to ratepayers.
choose among power providers that would compete The 2007 legislation allowed Dominion to pad its
for customers, improving service and reducing prices. profits by getting ratepayers to pay for new coal and
In practice, these savings did not materialize. In 2007, nuclear power plants.150 The cost-recovery provi-
the chairman of the U.S. House Energy and Commerce sions allowed Dominion to shift the $1.8 billion cost
Committee, Joe Barton, lamented that electricity rates of building a coal-fired power plant onto the rate-
had not declined under deregulation.134 payers.151
A 2014 Virginia law allowed Dominion to deduct
Virginia Senator Tommy Norment sponsored the
hundreds of millions of dollars in expenditures for
Dominion-designed electricity deregulation legisla- a proposed new reactor at its North Anna plant and
tion in 1999, which not only split delivery from power recover a large portion of the costs from customers.152
marketing but reduced regulatory oversight.135 The SCC Dominion spent $600 million before abandoning the
opposed Dominion’s deregulatory proposal.136 Virginia project — by 2017, customers had already picked up
enacted electricity deregulation driven by Dominion’s $300 million of these costs for a reactor that was never
lobbying muscle; the law allowed customers to begin built.153
choosing their electricity provider by 2004.137
rates.143 The SCC chairman stated that the re-regula-
But retail electricity competition never materialized in
tion would “unfairly favor the interest of utilities over
Virginia, and other states that tried the deregulation
that of consumers.”144 The Dominion-backed bill (again
experiment faced rocketing electricity prices.138 The
pushed by Norment) passed rapidly.145
Virginia Attorney General’s Office found that during
five years under electricity deregulation, Dominion Virginia Power’s base electricity rates remained steady,
earned $858 million more than it would have earned but base rates alone did not constitute the entirety of
under SCC regulation.139 Between 1998 and 2008, customers’ power bills, since the company imposed
Dominion’s stock price almost doubled and its return “rate adjustment clauses” to build five power plants
on equity (power infrastructure investments) rose to and other infrastructure.146 Dominion raised its elec-
22 percent.140 tricity prices by 18 percent in 2008 after the legislation
went into effect, the largest one-time rate hike in three
Dominion pushes profitable decades.147 By late 2012, the re-regulation scheme
2007 re-regulation increased Dominion’s revenues by nearly $300 million
and ratepayers’ bills by $1.8 billion.148
Dominion led the charge for a return to utility regu-
lation on its own self-serving, profitable terms.141
The re-regulation prevented the SCC from lowering
2015 rate freeze lines Dominion’s pockets
consumer electricity rates but obligated the SCC to In 2015, Dominion wrote new legislation that reduced
approve rate hikes if Dominion’s profits slid.142 Instead SCC oversight even further and locked in Dominion’s
of rules that promoted rates based on revenues and profitable prices.154 It froze electricity rates until 2022
reasonable expenses, the re-regulation not only and eliminated the biennial review of Dominion’s base
enabled the utility to deduct many investment costs rates that allowed the SCC to lower rates or order
but also curbed the authority of regulators to review rebates if Dominion’s earnings exceeded fair returns.155

While it froze base electricity rates, it still allowed
Dominion to charge additional rate adjustments.156 It Unfreezing the rates,
also put ratepayers on the hook to fund new power but keeping regulators at bay
plants, solar facilities and underground power lines.157 A In 2018, Dominion helped craft another bill to replace
Virginia Poverty Law Center lobbyist said the legislation the divisive rate freeze giveaway.166 The Washington Post
gave Dominion “a regulatory holiday.”158 The legislation reported that Dominion’s new legislative efforts consti-
was projected to deliver as much as $1 billion in excess tuted “an exercise of raw power” to prevent the public
profits to Dominion that should have been refunded to from putting a regulatory leash on Dominion.167
customers.159
The enacted 2018 legislation partially restored oversight
Dominion justified the rate freeze as a way to insulate of base electric rates, but with a review conducted
the utility from costs of complying with the Obama every three years instead of every two years as before
administration’s proposed Clean Power Plan climate the rate freeze.168 This would slow the SCC’s ability to
policy (which was derailed by the Trump administra- deliver rebates to consumers from overpayments.169 It
tion).160 Its senior vice president for corporate affairs also rebated $200 million in overpayments and further
suggested that the rate freeze was designed to “protect reduced rates by $125 million to pass on the Trump tax
customers from a potential price spike tied to envi- cuts.170 But these refunds barely scratched the surface
ronmental costs.”161 This justification was a ruse, since of what Dominion earned under the rate freeze. The
Dominion could have passed any environmental costs SCC found that the rate freeze enabled Virginia Power
on to consumers through rate adjustments (which would to earn an excess of $426 million in 2016 alone.171
have been unaffected by the freeze to base rates).162
More importantly, the 2018 law allowed Dominion to
The rate freeze has soaked Virginia utility customers overcharge customers without providing rebates as
and padded Dominion’s profits. The freeze allowed long as it invested the funds in infrastructure improve-
Dominion to capture $300 million to $700 million in ments like undergrounding power lines or building
excess profits in two years.163 Although the legislation renewable power generation.172 The law ensured that
froze base rates, Dominion piled on rate adjustment these capital expenditures would be presumed to be
charges, and typical households paid 30 percent more reasonable, prudent and in the public interest.173 This
per month for electricity in 2016 than in 2006 before could prevent the SCC from requiring Dominion to issue
the rate freeze — more than a $300 annual hike in elec- rebates to customers that were overcharged.174 Both the
tricity prices for each household.164 Virginia ratepayers SCC and the Attorney General’s office warned that the
would have been entitled to refunds of between legislation would not protect consumers.175
$133 million and $175 million without the rate freeze.165
Dominion’s dominant role
in fracked gas infrastructure
Dominion’s sprawling network of natural gas infrastruc-
ture promotes the expansion of fracking. The company
plays a major and growing role in transporting, processing
and storing natural gas. Dominion’s CEO Farrell trumpeted
that shale would promote energy independence and
turn the United States into an “arsenal of energy.”176 The
company has invested heavily in gas infrastructure to
connect its facilities to fracked gas in the shale formations
of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.177 Dominion’s
Wexpro subsidiaries even operated nearly 1,400 gas wells
in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming — the majority of which
rely on fracking — that produced about 15 trillion cubic
feet of gas a month and supplied nearly two-thirds of the
gas for its Questar Gas utility company for customers in
the Rocky Mountains.178

Promoting natural gas entrenches decades more fracking, Coast Pipeline and the Cove Point, Maryland export
contributes to the climate crisis and results in billions of terminal (see Map 2 below and sidebar on page 15).183 In
dollars being spent on fossil fuel infrastructure. Pipelines 2017, Dominion planned to invest $8.3 billion more over
and export terminals have both significant investment the next five years to upgrade and expand its gas pipeline
and long-term sales contracts that prevent a shift to real and infrastructure network.184
renewable energy solutions because energy companies
Dominion’s pipelines, storage facilities, processing plants
lock themselves — and their customers — into these fossil
and export terminals are operated by Dominion Energy
fuel assets.179
and a handful of subsidiaries and controlled affiliates.
The fracking industry has fragmented forests, produced Much of Dominion’s gas infrastructure — including the
massive volumes of toxic wastes and caused earth- Cove Point gas export terminal — is operated by Dominion
quakes.180 And oil and gas operations have become the Energy Midstream, a limited partnership controlled by
second greatest global source of the potent greenhouse Dominion.185 Its Questar subsidiary operates pipelines and
gas methane, threatening the climate and the planet.181 storage in the Rocky Mountains.186 Dominion formed the
The reckless fracking for oil and gas also has caused $1.5 billion Blue Racer joint venture with Caiman Energy
thousands of leaks, spills and discharges.182 in 2012, which gathered, processed and marketed natural
gas and liquids for the fracking industry in the Marcellus
Dominion is strengthening and expanding its gas infra-
and Utica shale formations (in late 2018, Dominion
structure footprint. Its “energy and economic security”
announced it was selling its stake in Blue Racer).187
investments rely on fracked gas, including the Atlantic
MAP 2 • Dominion Energy's Gas Infrastructure Footprint • virginia region
Infrastructure
Virginia Power Utility Service Area
Underground Storage Sites, sized by capacity
Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Existing Pipelines
Fossil Fuel and

Nuclear Power Plants
sized by MW output
Natural Gas
Nuclear
Coal
Oil
SOURCE: Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration and Homeland Infrastructure Foundation.

Dominion’s gas infrastructure footprint

Pipeline network: Dominion and its subsidiaries and affiliates own or hold stakes in nearly 19,000 miles of interstate
pipelines. In 2017, Dominion Energy operated 14,800 miles of interstate gas pipelines and gathering lines (collecting gas
from drilling operations) and an additional 51,800 miles of distribution lines (utility gas lines to customers), primarily in
Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.188 The gathering lines collect and market fracked gas
from wells in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.189
Dominion and its affiliates also held a 50 percent stake in the Iroquois Pipeline, a 416-mile pipeline running from the New
York-Canada border to Hunts Point in the Bronx.190 Dominion Midstream owns the 2,200-mile interstate Questar pipeline
network in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.191 Dominion Midstream also operates the nearly 1,500-mile Dominion Energy
Carolina Gas (known as DECG) pipeline connecting the pipeline systems of Georgia and South Carolina and delivers to gas
utilities, industrial users, power plants and others.192
Dominion had six additional pipeline projects planned by the end of 2017.193 These include the controversial and highly publi-
cized Atlantic Coast Pipeline but also the Sweden Valley Pipeline project to connect Pennsylvania and Ohio to the Tennessee
Gas Pipeline, and the Charleston project connecting eastern South Carolina with the Transcontinental Gas pipeline.194
Compressor stations: Dominion pushes gas through these pipes via 171 compressor stations with more than
1 million horsepower.195 Compressor stations pressurize natural gas to transport it through pipelines.196 These include
a compressor station in Frederick County, Maryland that was built in 2014 and expanded in 2016.197 The Atlantic Coast
Pipeline would also include several new or expanded compressor stations, including a 53,500-horsepower station in
Buckingham County, Virginia.198 These noisy and disruptive facilities are significant emitters of harmful air pollutants,
which can travel up to 10 miles before settling to the ground.199 These releases can damage respiratory, reproductive and
neurological systems and more. 200
Natural gas storage and processing: Dominion also controls one of the biggest networks of natural gas storage.
Dominion and its affiliates can store about 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas at 20 underground facilities as well as
providing storage for nearly 4.8 million gallons of natural gas liquids (NGLs) like propane and butane in New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania and West Virginia. 201 The company also operates processing facilities that buy fracked gas and remove
the NGLs from what is known as “wet gas.” 202 These operations can process 270 million cubic feet of gas daily — about
as much as 1,200 Pennsylvania wells produce every day — primarily at Dominion’s biggest facility, Hastings in West
Virginia. 203 Gas storage facilities (like other infrastructure) can leak tremendous volumes of methane that contribute to
climate change — and accidents can release dangerous amounts of gas. In 2015, the Southern California Gas utility’s Aliso
Canyon gas storage facility was the site of the worst methane leak in U.S. history, releasing 90,000 metric tonnes of gas
that displaced 8,000 families. 204
Dominion has downplayed the public opposition Dominion is being attacked, Virginians — hard-working
to its aggressive gas infrastructure expansion. This Virginians — are being attacked.”208
infrastructure threatens ecosystems, imperils drinking
water supplies and poses real safety risks to nearby The detested Atlantic Coast Pipeline
residents.205 Dominion admits that accidental fires, Dominion’s most contentious gas infrastructure project
explosions or leaks from its gas pipelines or processing has been the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), which has
operations could cause deaths or injuries and damage ignited fervent resistance in frontline communities in
the environment.206 North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Dominion
But the company seems disdainful of public participa- is the largest stakeholder in the ACP and is building
tion in the debate over fossil fuel infrastructure. Its and will operate the pipeline.209 The ACP is designed to
senior energy policy director said that regulators carry fracked gas from the Marcellus and Utica shale
considering fossil fuel infrastructure projects “are basins to supply power plants across the Southeast.210
being bombarded by general citizenry, by elected It will be the largest pipeline construction project ever
officials who have asked to insert themselves into the undertaken in the central Appalachians and Dominion’s
process.”207 And it has suggested that Dominion critics biggest pipeline project ever.211
really are aiming at the working families employed by The $5 billion, nearly 600-mile ACP will deliver about
the company, with a spokesperson saying that “when 1.5 billion cubic feet of natural gas daily.212 The

large-scale pipeline will cross nearly 30 counties and the pipeline that could be as high as 30 percent and
municipal jurisdictions from West Virginia through residential and commercial developments that could be
Virginia into North Carolina, and also includes separate blocked or diminished by the pipeline.227
pipelines in West Virginia and Pennsylvania to connect
to five interstate pipelines.213 Dominion’s 2018 merger The potential perils of pipeline construction
with SCANA could ultimately extend the ACP further The construction poses substantial environmental and
into southern markets.214 As with many of its infra- safety risks. The construction will cut a 150-foot wide
structure projects, customers of Dominion and its ACP path through the landscape that will threaten wetlands
partners will ultimately pay about $4.9 billion and water systems, disrupt vulnerable geologic areas,
(96 percent) of the ACP’s cost.215 cross federal forest and parkland, and imperil efforts
to protect endangered and threatened species.228 The
Despite widespread opposition, Dominion planned to
water systems around the pipeline route — aquifers,
begin constructing the pipeline in 2018 and estimates
residential wells and the headwaters of important
it will be completed in 2019.216 The FERC approved the
river systems — could be significantly impacted by
ACP in October 2017, which allowed Dominion to begin
construction-related pollution and disturbances that
construction and gave it the authority to use eminent
would impact downstream drinking water sources.229
domain to seize land along the pipeline’s route.217
Dominion’s pipeline engineering manager admitted that
Although the Virginia DEQ had approval authority for
landowners had some “legitimate concerns.”230
the projects’ more than 700 stream and river cross-
ings, it largely deferred to the federal review that had The construction requires heavy equipment to exca-
already approved the route.218 The DEQ gave partial vate deep trenches through rocky terrain that would
approval in December 2017 but continued to review compact soil, blast bedrock, cross streams and clear
stormwater management, erosion control and other forests, wetlands and riparian areas.231 In West Virginia,
concerns in 2018.219 If the review languishes, the FERC the pipeline would cross the highest mountains
could overrule state regulators and allow construction along the route, requiring steeper grades than other
to begin.220 Dominion has claimed that public efforts comparably large pipelines.232 This includes removing
to delay or derail the project “will cost consumers and mountaintops along 38 miles of the route and lowering
businesses hundreds of millions of dollars in higher some peaks by 60 feet to accommodate the pipeline.233
energy costs.”221 The pipeline would also cut through karst limestone
geologic formations that are highly porous and suscep-
In the summer of 2018, a federal appeals court invali-
tible to sinkholes. The Blue Ridge karst deposits are one
dated two ACP permits because they failed to protect
of the most unstable geologic formations in the eastern
endangered species and compromised the Blue Ridge
United States, posing both environmental and safety
Parkway.222 The FERC immediately ordered Dominion
risks.234
to halt construction along the entire pipeline route, but
noted that there was “no reason to believe” that the The ACP will pose safety and health hazards
agencies could not “ultimately issue a new right of way Even after the pipeline is completed, the unlucky
grant” that would satisfy the court.223 landowners along its path must accept living with the
Dominion promotes the pipeline as an economic boon constant risk of accidents, leaks and explosions. In
to the region, but the local economic costs would likely 2008, the Transco pipeline exploded in Appomattox
exceed any dispersed economic benefits. The Southern County, Virginia and destroyed two homes and injured
Environmental Law Center found that Dominion’s five people.235 Between 2002 and April 2018 there were
economic projections likely overestimated the benefits, over 10,000 pipeline leaks, spills, ruptures and explo-
relied on unverified data and failed to consider some sions, resulting in over 200 fatalities and at least 860
economic costs.224 If the pipeline disrupts and reduces injuries and causing nearly $793 million in property
tourism by only 10 percent, it could cost over 1,000 damage.236
tourism jobs and $21 million in payroll earnings Newer pipelines built since 2010 are five times
in Virginia alone.225 For example, the Wintergreen more likely to have problems than older pipelines,
Resort expects a 40 percent decline in tourist revenue possibly because the rush to complete pipelines
because of the pipeline.226 Local jurisdictions would during the fracking boom encouraged corner-cutting
lose tax revenue from declining property values near

during construction.237 For example, the National
Transportation Safety Board determined that a poorly
constructed pipeline built in 2011 led to an explosion
Dominion’s aggressive
that destroyed two New York City buildings in 2014, use of eminent domain
injuring 50 people and resulting in eight deaths.238 In Dominion has used the power of eminent domain to seize
2018, a recently constructed gas pipeline exploded in a private land to build controversial power infrastructure
fiery blaze in Marshall County, West Virginia.239 projects, especially the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and several
electric transmission lines. The government can seize
Cove Point export terminal threatens private property for public purposes (like roadways or
community and the environment parklands) under eminent domain with “just compensa-
tion.”240
Dominion’s Cove Point is a liquefied natural gas (LNG) Theoretically, private firms cannot use eminent domain
terminal that exports LNG to the global market. Super- for private purposes, but regulated utilities have both
cooling natural gas converts it to a liquid that takes up private and quasi-public roles.241 Virginia considers electric
600 times less volume, making it possible to load onto and gas utility infrastructure as public services that allow
tankers; when it is unloaded, it is heated to return it companies to use eminent domain to secure rights-of-
to a gas.254 The export push was designed to offload way for pipeline and power line routes.242 Once the FERC
approves a gas pipeline, companies can use eminent
domestic fracked gas overseas to sop up the U.S. gas
domain to seize land.243
glut driven by the fracking boom.255
But these projects often have only tangential public
Cove Point was originally built to import LNG after the benefits; instead, they primarily benefit Dominion. The
1970s oil crisis.256 Dominion bought and expanded Cove ACP would largely serve non-Virginia customers, and
Point in 2002.257 The expansion doubled the storage some of Dominion’s electric lines power specific corporate
capacity and added a second pipeline to connect to the complexes.244 Many communities may sacrifice property
national pipeline system and included new or upgraded but never receive access to the natural gas or electricity.245
compressor stations in Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Dominion has bullied landowners to surrender their prop-
Virginia.258 erty for their pipeline and power line routes. Dominion
admits that it can and would acquire rights-of-way from
When the fracking boom made imports obsolete, Cove landowners “by condemnation, if necessary.”246 Many
Point was retrofitted to export natural gas.259 It props landowners on the ACP route reported that they received
up the fracking industry since it is by far the closest threatening letters saying that if they blocked surveyors
existing export facility to the Marcellus and Utica shale from their property, Dominion would pursue legal action
using eminent domain.247 Dominion planned to file suit
basins, creating new demand to absorb excess fracked
against nearly 200 Virginia landowners to pursue the ACP
gas.260 In 2014, the FERC approved Dominion’s plan to
route.248 Many of its suits were withdrawn, but by the end
build a $4.1 billion liquefaction facility to convert natural of 2017 Dominion remained involved in approximately 30
gas into LNG for exports and export 770 million cubic eminent domain cases, half of which were in Virginia.249
feet of LNG every day.261 It takes two big gas turbines to
Dominion’s electricity transmission projects can have
generate the energy to chill the natural gas, increasing similar impacts on private property, the environment
air emissions.262 Dominion estimated that 85 ships will and historical sites, and two recent projects have drawn
load LNG at the terminal annually.263 substantial opposition. Dominion’s proposed Haymarket
line was designed largely to provide power to a new
Amazon data center, but it would have run through
land that is owned and inhabited by the descendants
of a former slave who have lived there for more than
a century.250 Dominion was prepared to use eminent
domain to seize their land to secure a cheaper route.251
Dominion contended that blocking the line would “harm
the county’s growth prospects or, worse, jeopardize
reliable electric service.”252 The community challenged
Dominion’s plans, and the company ultimately agreed
to reroute the power line, putting large stretches under-
ground in 2018.253
COVE POINT LNG EXPORT TERMINAL, MARYLAND
PHOTO CC-BY-SA © ACROTERION / COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG

Community groups opposed the expansion that would metric tonnes.271 Other pollutants rose more steeply.
increase air pollution, harm wetlands, threaten marine Sulfur dioxide emissions more than tripled, particulate
life, damage the Chesapeake Bay, infringe on open matter emissions rose 34.6 percent, and nitrogen
spaces and farms, and pose catastrophic risks in the oxides emissions rose 5.9 percent from 2011 to 2014,
event of an explosion.264 Cove Point threatens over 830 the latest data available.272 Despite local opposition
people living within about a mile of the facility with the and the inherent explosion dangers associated with
risk of accidents from explosive fuels and chemicals.265 the volatile LNG, Cove Point’s export facility went into
LNG can burn and explode at certain LNG-to-oxygen operation in April 2018.273
mixtures, and accidents can and do happen.266 In 1979,
a fire at Cove Point killed a worker.267 In 2014, a pipeline Dominion’s power plant risks: climate
change, coal ash, fracking and more
explosion at a Washington state LNG terminal sent
shrapnel flying into a 14.6 million gallon storage tank,
causing it to leak.268 The accident injured five workers, Dominion’s power plants generate a lot of energy and
forced the evacuation of a thousand residents within a lot of pollution. And while the company is slowly
a two-mile radius and caused $72 million in property shedding dirty coal-fired power plants, it is building
damage.269 more gas-fired power plants (see Table 2). Dominion
claims that gas-fired plants have “significantly improved
One scientist presented evidence that the expansion
environmental performance.”274 But shifting to natural
of Cove Point could release more toxic pollutants
gas cannot prevent catastrophic climate change. Gas
than allowed under state law, a charge that Dominion
power plants emit greenhouse gases, and the leaks of
denied.270 Emissions have already risen dramatically
the potent greenhouse gas methane from gas pipelines
for many pollutants even before the export operations
and other infrastructure pose significant and growing
began. Between 2011 and 2016, Cove Point’s carbon
climate threats.
dioxide emissions rose by 26.7 percent to 174,500
TABLE 2 • Dominion Energy's Power Plant Portfolio
Virginia Power Total Dominion

Fuel Source
Generators/ Capacity Percent of Generators/ Capacity Percent of
Facilities (Megawatts) capacity Facilities (Megawatts) capacity
Natural Gas 15 7,589 38.1% 17 9,297 37.1%

Coal 6 4,402 22.1% 6 4,402 17.6%
Oil 8 2,157 10.8% 8 2,157 8.6%
All Fossil Fuel 29 14,148 71.0% 31 15,856 63.3%
Nuclear 2 3,348 16.8% 3 5,349 21.4%
Hydro 4 2,126 10.7% 4 2,126 8.5%
Biomass 4 236 1.2% 4 236 0.9%
Solar 3 56 0.3% 45 1,168 4.7%
Wind 2 282 1.1%
Other 1 11 0.1% 2 26 0.1%
Total Power Plant
35 † 19,925 83† 25,043
Complexes
† Total power plant complexes represent different power plant sites; total is not a sum of facilities because some power plants have mul-
tiple generators with different fuels. Dominion reports 91 generation facilities (43 for Virginia Power) because 5 Virginia Power complexes
have multiple generators with different fuels (Chesterfield has 1 coal and 1 gas generators; Darbytown has 1 gas and 1 oil; Gravel Neck has
1 oil and 1 gas; Mt. Storm has 1 coal and 1 generator using various fuels; Possum Point has 1 gas and 1 oil; and Yorktown has 2 oil and 2 coal
generators).
SOURCE: Dominion Energy 2017 Securities and Exchange Commission 10-K filing.

Dominion’s total climate emissions from its fleet of nuclear, hydroelectric, biofuel, solar and wind facilities,
power plants have been rising steadily 275 — even as but in 2017 about two-thirds of the power capacity
some of the company’s coal plants have been shut (63.3 percent) came from natural gas, coal and oil-fired
down or converted to gas, oil or wood-burning. Coal fossil fuel plants, and only 5.8 percent came from wind
remains a cornerstone of Dominion’s power production and solar.278 Dominion’s 2018 purchase of SCANA brings
— its newest coal-fired plant was built in 2012 and is at even more gas and coal plants into its portfolio.279
least 80 percent fueled by coal.276 Moreover, the air and
Some of Dominion’s plants are merchant power
climate emissions from the company’s gas-fired power
facilities that sell electricity to the grid, primarily in
plants are rising dramatically as more gas plants come
the Northeast, Midwest, New England and California,
online. Dominion’s shift to gas aligns all of its business
but the bulk of its plants are operated by its Virginia
segments: it can store, process and deliver gas to its
Power electric utility.280 About 80 percent of Dominion’s
power plants from its infrastructure.
electric capacity was from its Virginia Power plants, and
Dominion stated that “sustainable solutions should these plants were even more dependent on fossil fuels
strive to balance the interdependent goals of envi- (71.0 percent) and had a smaller portion of wind and
ronmental stewardship and economic effects.”277 But solar (0.3 percent).281
Dominion’s environmental record demonstrates that
Dominion’s power plants are emitting an increasing
the company is far from balanced. Its climate emis-
amount of greenhouse gases. The company’s carbon
sions are rising, especially at its growing gas-fired
dioxide emissions from its current power plant hold-
power plants, and many of its power plants have had a
ings have been trending upward, according to U.S.
history of environmental violations. At the same time,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) data. From
Dominion’s paltry investments in clean renewable
the 2011/2012 period to 2016/2017, Dominion’s carbon
power have lagged far, far behind its investments in
dioxide emissions rose 21 percent (see Figure 1).282
fossil-fueled energy, increasing the harm to the climate
Virginia Power’s carbon emissions rose 25 percent over
and nearby communities.
the same period, to 30.5 million metric tonnes.
Powering Dominion’s polluting plants Despite the imperative of climate change, Dominion
Dominion is one of the biggest electric power compa- has invested little in solar and wind power. In 2014,
nies in the country. The company operates coal, gas, oil, Dominion CEO Farrell referred to wind and solar as
FIG. 1 • Dominion's CO2 Emissions From Current Power Plants • in millions of metric tonnes
Virginia Power Other Dominion
36.4
33.8 34.4 34.4
30.7
28.5
32.6
30.2 31.0
30.5
26.7
24.4
2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017
SOURCE: Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA Air Markets Program data; total Dominion emissions includes Dominion Merchant and Virginia power coal, gas, oil and biomass
plants; adjusted for 50% ownership stake in one coal plant.

“niche players” in the energy market.283 Solar makes up often buried it on site, in unlined pits, where the toxic
less than 5 percent of Dominion’s capacity, and much of chemicals can leach into the surrounding area. 300 By
that (nearly 70 percent) is outside Virginia; only 2017, Dominion had at least 30 million tons of coal ash
0.3 percent of Virginia Power’s capacity came from in ponds across Virginia. 301
solar facilities.284 Wind power makes up about 1 percent
Studies have documented that toxic contaminants such
of Dominion’s total capacity, none of it in Virginia.285
as arsenic, boron and selenium leach from coal ash
Dominion has committed to building two 6 megawatt
ponds into groundwater and local waterways and often
Virginia offshore wind facilities, a super small-scale
exceed EPA safe drinking water standards throughout
facility that would be dwarfed by the 1,588 megawatt
the southeastern United States. 302 The EPA found that
gas plant under construction in Greensville County.286
the chemicals in coal ash can leak into water supplies
Most of Dominion’s solar power is far away or dedicated and pose “high risks” of causing excess cancer risk from
to serve technology titans. Nearly half (43 percent) of arsenic, boron, cadmium, cobalt, lead and selenium
the company’s solar capacity is in California and Utah.287 and that coal ash ponds are much more likely to leak
More than one-fifth of Dominion’s solar power was built these chemicals than landfills. 303 By 2010, the EPA had
solely to serve Amazon.288 It also has agreed to invest identified 24 cases of proven damages from coal ash
in solar power for Microsoft and Facebook.289 Dominion impoundment leaks, and 39 potential cases. 304 Coal ash
admitted that it would continue to add solar capacity, facilities are frequently located near communities of
but only “so long as customers, investors, policymakers color and lower-income areas; the EPA estimated that
and regulators continue to demand cleaner energy.”290 1.5 million people of color live near coal ash ponds. 305
Dominion’s continued coal reliance Dominion’s coal ash ponds could pose similar risks.
Environmental testing has found that Dominion’s coal
and toxic legacy of coal ash ponds ash ponds have leaked potentially toxic coal residues
Although Dominion has shifted slightly away from coal, into nearby water bodies. 306 A malfunctioning ash pond
the dirtiest fossil fuel continues to be a key portion of its at its Chesterfield plant spilled coal ash slurry into the
power portfolio. Coal continues to provide one-fifth of James River for three months in 2005. 307 Dominion
the company’s power capacity, and the SCANA purchase has nearly 1 million tons of coal ash stored near the
added four new coal-fired plants.291 Dominion is espe- Elizabeth River plant that has been contaminating the
cially committed to coal in Virginia. All six of Dominion’s river with arsenic. 308 The company’s Possum Point
coal-fired power plants are Virginia Power plants, with coal ash ponds have been leaking a decade after the
five in Virginia and one in West Virginia.292 The company’s facility stopped burning coal, and 2016 testing found
newest coal-fired power plant went online in 2012, a very dangerous levels of toxic contaminants in nearby
recent coal commitment.293 In 2017, coal still made up private wells. 309 In 2017, Dominion’s coal ash ponds at
22 percent of Virginia Power’s power capacity.294 the Chesapeake power plant were under investigation
for alleged Clean Water Act violations. 310
Coal-fired power plants emit hazardous air pollutants
like mercury, particulate matter, sulfur dioxide and Disastrous accidents can amplify the risks of living near
nitrogen oxides that threaten human health.295 Between coal ash ponds. In 2014, a Duke Energy coal ash pond
2012 and 2016, Dominion’s coal-fired plants annually impoundment breached, pouring between 30 million
emitted about 10 million pounds of particulate matter and 39 million gallons of coal ash slurry that polluted
and 24 million pounds of nitrogen oxides.296 70 miles of the Dan River. 311 It was the third largest coal
ash spill in the United States and posed risks to drinking
Virginia Power has been burning coal for decades,
water supplies and aquatic life. 312 It took Duke almost
generating mountains of coal ash waste; the potentially
a week to seal the pipe that leaked the coal ash. 313
toxic unburned coal residue can contain trace elements
Samples revealed elevated levels of a laundry list of
of arsenic, boron, cadmium, chromium, copper, iron,
toxic chemicals in both the water and the riverbed. 314
lead, manganese, mercury and selenium.297 Its six
Duke ultimately agreed to pay a total of $102 million in
operating coal-fired plants still produce coal ash that
fines and restitution. 315 After the spill, Duke University
is stored in eight impoundment ponds.298 Virginia
researchers studied the unlined coal ash ponds across
Power may produce about 3 million tons of coal ash
the Southeast including Virginia and found high levels
annually.299 This coal ash piles up, and Dominion has
of dangerous pollutants leaching from the ponds. 316

instead of wind and solar. 325 But more gas plants would
increase the climate-destroying emissions both from
the plants and from the widespread methane leaks
from connecting infrastructure, meaning that natural
gas cannot be considered a low-carbon fuel. 326
But emissions just from Dominion’s natural gas plants

nearly tripled between 2008/2009 and 2016/2017,
to 16.1 million metric tonnes.327 As Dominion opens
more gas plants, these emissions will continue to rise.
Additionally, methane emissions from gas power plants
alone may be considerably higher than thought. A 2017
study found that gas-fired power plants released more
than 20 times more methane than the facilities esti-
mated, 328 and the greenhouse gas footprint of natural
DOMINION COAL ASH PONDS IN FAUQUIER COUNTY, VIRGINIA gas is actually worse than for coal and oil because
PHOTO CC-BY-NC © CHESAPEAKE BAY PROGRAM / FLICKR.COM
methane traps more heat in the atmosphere. 329
Despite the known risks, Dominion has seemed reluc-
Although natural gas-fired plants release fewer air pollut-
tant to clean up these hazardous sites. Virginia directed
ants than coal- or oil-fired plants, they are major nitrogen
the company to evaluate 11 of its mostly unlined
oxide (NOx) emitters, contribute to ground-level ozone
coal ash ponds in the Chesapeake Bay watershed,
and smog, and threaten the environment and human
but Dominion’s study recommended that all but the
health.330 Dominion’s gas plants released about 1 million
smallest ponds be capped in place — essentially main-
pounds of particulate matter annually between 2008 and
taining the coal ash ponds. 317 Dominion highlighted
2014, the latest data available.331 Over the past decade,
that removing the coal ash would be many times more
Dominion’s gas plant NOx emissions rose 72 percent to
expensive than cap-in-place. 318
6.4 million pounds in 2017.332 Ground-level ozone creates
Dominion only intended to monitor and manage smog when it mixes with particulate matter, which itself
groundwater contamination from the coal ash ponds has been linked to various cancers.333 Prolonged expo-
for 10 to 30 years, even though chemicals such as sele- sure to smog has been connected to premature deaths
nium can leach from coal ash over hundreds of years. 319 in adults and to low birthweight in babies.334
In April 2017, Virginia enacted a year-long moratorium
One of Dominion’s plants currently under construc-
on Dominion’s cap-in-place plans at the company’s
tion reinforces depressingly common environmental
plants. 320 Sen. Scott A. Surovell, who sponsored the bill,
injustice. Fossil-fueled power plants have long exem-
said “the coal ash bill was the first piece of legislation
plified the disparate pollution burden facing socially
Dominion opposed that passed in recent memory.” 321
and economically disadvantaged communities. Many
studies have found that power plants are dispropor-
Dominion’s fracked gas tionately located in communities of color and lower-
future means more pollution income areas. 335
Natural gas makes up an increasing portion of Dominion is building a $1.3 billion, 1,588 megawatt gas-
Dominion’s power generation. In 2017, it had 17 gas- fired power plant in predominantly African-American
fired power plants (14 in Virginia) that provided Greensville County, Virginia. 336 The plant will be about
37.1 percent of its total capacity. 322 The SCANA purchase four miles from another major Dominion gas plant and
added two more gas-fired plants. 323 And the company will be the largest gas-fired power plant of its type in
is planning to build even more gas plants, with nearly the United States. 337 African Americans make up three-
3,000 megawatts in development. 324 fifths of the population in Greensville County, where
Dominion is falsely promoting its shift to gas as part of typical households earn about $40,000 annually
a plan to reduce climate emissions. In 2018, Dominion (40 percent below the statewide earnings) and
stated that it would “continue to rely more heavily on 18 percent of the population lives below the federal
lower-carbon-emitting sources such as natural gas” poverty line. 338

Dominion’s plants have also had a series of industrial
Dominion’s history of environmental accidents, threatening nearby residents, communities
violations and accidents and workers. In 2016, Dominion spilled 13,500 gallons
Dominion’s power plants have been significant of oil into a waterfowl sanctuary and the Potomac River
polluters, and the company has amassed millions of near Washington, D.C. 346 In 2013, Dominion’s recently
dollars in settlements with the EPA over alleged viola- opened West Virginia natural gas processor had a deaf-
tions of the Clean Air Act. In 2016, Virginia released ening explosion and large fire. 347 In 2006, a transformer
more pollution per square mile than most other states, in Chesterfield County exploded, setting fire to 1,500
releasing 39 million pounds in 2016. 339 Three Dominion gallons of mineral oil. 348 But the most troubling safety
plants were among the 10 largest polluters and were concerns occurred at some of the company’s nuclear
responsible for 11 percent of pollution in Virginia. 340 plants.
Dominion settled a raft of Clean Air Act complaints Dominion’s troubling nuclear experiment
against three coal-fired power plants (two in the
Nearly 40 percent of Dominion’s electricity is produced
Midwest and one in Massachusetts) for $3.4 million in
at its nuclear reactors, which the company touts as
fines and $10 million in environmental improvement
“safe, reliable and carbon-free.” 349 Dominion operates
projects in 2013. 341 It settled a similar case against eight
four reactors in Virginia (at Surry and North Anna) and
power plants in Virginia and West Virginia in 2003 by
two reactors in Connecticut (Millstone). 350 Dominion
agreeing to pay a $5.3 million penalty and to invest
has justified efforts to extend these nuclear licenses
$1.2 billion in environmental upgrades, and by pledging
because the plants provide “carbon-free generation.” 351
to reduce emissions by 70 percent over a decade. 342
Dominion wants to extend the two Virginia nuclear
In 2005, Dominion settled a separate pollution licenses until 2060 and 2053. 352 But the company’s
complaint against one of the Massachusetts coal plants operation of these nuclear reactors raises troubling
by agreeing to reduce pollution over a two-year period safety issues.
by switching to low-sulfur coal. 343 Dominion finally
Nuclear energy is neither clean nor safe. Nuclear
agreed to shutter the coal plant by 2014 and to invest
energy facilities have had dozens of dangerous acci-
another $275,000 in environmental mitigation to settle
dents, including catastrophic meltdowns in Chernobyl
a lawsuit over alleged repeated violations of the Clean
and Fukushima. 353 Processing nuclear material creates
Air Act. 344 Dominion also agreed to close one of the
vast quantities of radioactive waste, which operators do
dirtiest plants in the Chicago area rather than address
not have the resources to store safely. 354 In May 2017, a
an EPA Clean Air Act complaint. 345
shuttered Washington state facility, which for decades
had “temporarily” stored nuclear waste, experienced
a major breach that could have released radiation into
the environment. 355
Dominion bought the now-shuttered Wisconsin

Kewaunee nuclear plant in 2005. 356 Although the plant
had been shut down for months for repairs prior to the
sale, Dominion planned to keep the plant operational
for another 20 years. 357 But the plant continued to have
problems. In 2006, Kewaunee was one of 10 nuclear
plants that were found to be leaking the radioactive
hydrogen isotope tritium. 358 A water sample taken from
below the plant found the cancer-causing isotope at
over five times the EPA maximum drinking water stan-
dard, but Dominion downplayed the risk, suggesting
that even if you drank that tritium-tainted water, it
would be the same radiation exposure as “eating one
KEWAUNEE NUCLEAR GENERATING STATION, WISCONSIN
PHOTO CC-BY-SA © ROYALBROIL / COMMONS.WIKIMEDIA.ORG banana.” 359

That same year, Dominion shut down the plant and and power plants that will lock Virginia into a fossil fuel
issued an alert after a series of mechanical failures in future for decades. Dominion’s coal and gas plants
a cooling system revealed that the plant’s automatic continue to pose environmental risks to communities
shutdown system failed and the reactor had to be near these facilities as well as communities living near
manually taken offline.360 In 2007, federal regulators coal ash ponds and pipelines. The company’s green-
downgraded the plant’s performance over the cooling house gas emissions have been rising steadily even as it
failure incident, making it one of only six reactors facing slowly sheds its coal-fired power plants.
the higher scrutiny in the prior decade. 361 In 2009, the
Dominion is currently the biggest obstacle to Virginia’s
facility ran out of nuclear waste storage space inside
needed transition to a clean energy future. Virginia
the plant and began to bury the waste in casks on the
must rapidly shift to real renewable electricity genera-
grounds of the complex, close to the Lake Michigan
tion to replace the existing fossil-fueled power plants.
shoreline. 362 In 2013, Dominion agreed to pay a $70,000
This means building new solar, wind and geothermal
fine for the serious violation of falsifying records about
generating capacity and decommissioning the dirty
failing to conduct fire drills. 363 Dominion permanently
fossil fuel plants. In 2017, solar power was 2 percent of
shut down the Kewaunee facility in 2013 and began
Dominion’s Virginia capacity, and the company had built
decommissioning — a process that the company
no wind power in the Commonwealth. 373
expects will continue until 2073. 364
Virginia’s clean energy potential is literally untapped.
The North Anna reactors have had safety issues for
But it has the potential to generate enough wind and
years. In 2011, the state’s largest earthquake in a
solar power to completely replace polluting power
century struck Virginia and seemed to exceed the
plants with zero-emissions electricity. According to the
plant’s specifications. 365 The earthquake disrupted the
U.S. Department of Energy, Virginia has nearly 98,000
reactor’s offsite power connection, forcing it to rely
megawatts of potential wind and solar energy capacity
on backup emergency generators, but one of those
— nearly five times Dominion’s Virginia Power subsid-
generators had to be shut down during the emergency
iary’s total capacity today. 374 Virginia and the nation
because it was leaking coolant. 366 Subsequent reas-
must rapidly invest in the shift to 100 percent clean,
sessment by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
renewable energy to prevent climate catastrophe.
found that a massive earthquake would be considerably
more likely to cause nuclear core damage at North Anna Virginia must curb Dominion’s outsized control over
than was estimated 20 years earlier. 367 energy and utility policy and chart a new course that
protects the environment, climate and residents. Food
There have been other safety issues. In 2017, a water
& Water Watch recommends:
leak brought a reactor offline. 368 North Anna had
problems with improperly installed cooling systems • Virginia and the nation must rapidly shift to
in 2008 that forced one of the reactors to close. 369 100 percent clean, renewable energy: Virginia
Transformer malfunctions kept the reactor inoperable should establish ambitious programs for deploying
for days. 370 Another North Anna reactor was closed in existing renewable energy and energy efficiency
2009 following an episode culminating in a 15 gallon- technologies in order to slash fossil fuel demand to
per-minute leak from the reactor purification system, reach 100 percent clean, renewable energy within a
which the NRC classified as “unusual.” 371 In 1987, a few decades, as well as modernizing electrical grids
tube carrying contaminated water ruptured, spilling to cater to distributed renewable power genera-
500 gallons per minute along with a small amount of tion and aggressive energy conservation policies,
radioactive gas; two years later, another similar rupture including large investments in public transport and
leaked a smaller amount of radioactive water. 372 widespread deployment of other energy-saving
solutions. These investments must provide a just
Conclusion and recommendations transition for fossil fuel workers to find comparable,
meaningful employment in nearby renewable
Dominion has long flexed its political muscle to estab-
energy and energy efficiency manufacturing, instal-
lish an energy and utility regulatory landscape that
lation and maintenance.
protects its profits while threatening the environment
and raising utility prices for Virginia residents. Dominion • Virginia must restore independent oversight
is promoting fracked gas and investing in gas pipelines of electric utilities: The Virginia legislature must

restore the independent regulatory authority of the • Virginia and the nation must ban fracking:
State Corporation Commission and give new direc- Virginia should immediately ban fracking and all
tion to promote the rapid shift to clean, renewable associated activities, such as sand mining and waste
energy, including policies to facilitate the installa- disposal that support fracking, and fully investigate
tion of rooftop solar by residents and communities claims of environmental contamination from drilling
as well as encourage development of offshore wind and fracking.
power.
• Virginia must enact campaign finance, political
• Virginia and the nation should halt fossil fuel gift and conflict-of-interest reforms: Virginia
infrastructure: Virginia should halt all pending and allows unlimited campaign contributions and
proposed gas pipelines including the Atlantic Coast gifts to legislators and allows legislators to vote
Pipeline and the Mountain Valley Pipeline. on measures that potentially affect their financial
investments. Dominion’s generous campaign dona-
• Virginia and the nation should halt the construc-
tions and gifts to politicians and officials, as well as
tion of the proposed natural gas plants and any
to politicians with investments in Dominion, creates
new fossil fuel plants: Virginia should require
the impression that legislative and regulatory favors
Dominion and other power companies to replace
are for sale in Virginia. The Virginia legislature must
the aging and polluting fossil fuel-fired plants with
enact comprehensive good government reforms to
clean, renewable wind, solar and geothermal power
eliminate the influence that special interest money
plants.
has on the political process in Richmond.

Appendix Table 1: Virginia House of Delegates Utility Regulation Votes and Dominion Campaign Contributions
Dominion Weakened Rate Original
Coal Ash Bill Rate Freeze Re-Regulation
PAC/Indiv. Percent Freeze Reversal Deregulation
Member of Virginia (Pro-Dominion (Pro-Dominion (Pro-Dominion
District Party Contributions Pro-Dominion (Pro-Dominion (Pro-Dominion
House of Delegates vote = N, vote = Y, vote = Y,
1998 to Votes* vote = Y, vote = Y,
SB 1398, 2017) 2 SB 1349, 2015) 3 HB 3068, 2007) 4
mid-2018 SB 966, 2018)1 SB 1269, 1999) 5
Terry G. Kilgore 1 R $196,641 100% Y N Y Y Y

Jennifer D. Carroll Foy 2 D $0 0% N
James W. (Will) Morefield 3 R $11,000 100% Y N Y
Todd E. Pillion 4 R $4,600 67% Y Y Y
Israel D. O’Quinn 5 R $7,750 67% Y Y Y
Jeffrey L. Campbell 6 R $4,000 67% NV N Y
L. Nick Rush 7 R $13,004 67% Y Y Y
Gregory D. Habeeb 8 R $13,500 67% Y Y Y
Charles D. Poindexter 9 R $12,921 33% N Y Y
Gwendolyn W. (Wendy) Gooditis 10 D $0 0% N
Sam Rasoul 11 D $11 0% N Y N
Chris L. Hurst 12 D $12 0% N
Danica A. Roem 13 D $13 0% N
Daniel W. Marshall, III 14 R $20,250 75% Y Y Y Y
C. Todd Gilbert 15 R $21,600 75% Y Y Y Y
Leslie R. (Les) Adams 16 R $2,500 33% N Y Y
Christopher T. Head 17 R $10,500 67% Y Y Y
Michael J. Webert 18 R $6,000 33% Y Y N
Terry L. Austin 19 R $3,750 67% Y Y Y
Richard P. Bell 20 R $10,000 0% N Y N
Kelly K. Convirs-Fowler 21 D $21 0% N
Kathy J. Byron 22 R $27,000 60% Y Y N Y Y
T. Scott Garrett 23 R $8,000 67% Y Y Y
Benjamin L. Cline 24 R $13,750 50% N Y Y Y
R. Steven Landes 25 R $23,950 40% N Y N Y Y
Tony O. Wilt 26 R $7,000 0% N Y N
Roxann L. Robinson 27 R $8,000 67% Y Y Y
Robert M. (Bob) Thomas, Jr. 28 R $28 0% N
Christopher E. Collins 29 R $1,500 50% Y Y
Nicholas J. (Nick) Freitas 30 R $1,500 0% N Y
Elizabeth R. Guzman 31 D $0 0% N
David A. Reid 32 D $500 100% Y
David A. LaRock 33 R $3,500 33% N Y Y
Kathleen J. Murphy 34 D $2,500 67% Y Y Y
Mark L. Keam 35 D $9,750 0% N Y N
Kenneth R. Plum 36 D $80,900 80% Y Y Y Y Y
David L. Bulova 37 D $12,250 75% Y Y Y Y
Kaye Kory 38 D $7,250 33% Y Y N
Vivian E. Watts 39 D $19,750 80% Y Y Y Y Y
Timothy D. Hugo 40 R $71,769 75% Y Y Y Y
Eileen Filler-Corn 41 D $15,000 67% Y Y Y
Kathy KL Tran 42 D $0 0% N
Mark D. Sickles 43 D $62,000 75% Y Y Y Y
Paul E. Krizek 44 D $2,330 50% Y Y
Mark H. Levine 45 D $45 50% Y NV
Charniele L. Herring 46 D $41,850 67% Y Y Y
Patrick A. Hope 47 D $10,500 33% Y Y N
Richard C. (Rip) Sullivan, Jr. 48 D $48 33% Y Y N
Alfonso H. Lopez 49 D $6,250 0% N Y N
Lee J. Carter 50 D $0 0% N
Hala S. Ayala 51 D $0 0% N
Luke E. Torian 52 D $14,500 67% Y Y Y
Marcus B. Simon 53 D $3,000 33% Y Y N
Robert D. Orrock, Sr. 54 R $18,750 80% Y Y Y Y Y
Hyland F. (Buddy) Fowler, Jr. 55 R $3,605 67% Y Y Y
John J. McGuire, III 56 R $2,500 100% Y
David J. Toscano 57 D $33,769 50% N Y Y Y
Robert B. Bell 58 R $16,600 75% Y Y Y Y
C. Matthew Fariss 59 R $6,500 33% Abst. Y Y
James E. Edmunds, II 60 R $7,750 67% Y Y Y
Continued on next page }

Appendix Table 1: Virginia House of Delegates Utility Regulation Votes and Dominion Campaign Contributions (continued)

House of Delegates vote = N, vote = Y, vote = Y,
SB 1398, 2017) 2 SB 1349, 2015) 3 HB 3068, 2007) 4
mid-2018 SB 966, 2018)1 SB 1269, 1999) 5
Thomas C. Wright, Jr. 61 R $3,250 25% N Y Y N

Riley E. Ingram 62 R $19,403 80% Y Y Y Y Y
Lashrecse D. Aird 63 D $3,000 50% Ya Y
Emily M. Brewer 64 R $1,250 100% Y
R. Lee Ware 65 R $29,000 40% N Y N Y Y
M. Kirkland Cox 66 R $148,721 80% Y Y Y Y Y
Karrie K. Delaney 67 D $500 100% Y
Dawn M. Adams 68 D $68 0% N
Betsy B. Carr 69 D $10,750 0% N Y N
Delores L. McQuinn 70 D $15,250 33% NVb Y Y
Jeffrey M. Bourne 71 D $1,750 50% Y Y
Schuyler T. VanValkenburg 72 D $0 100% Y
Debra H. Rodman 73 D $0 50% N Y
Lamont Bagby 74 D $5,250 50% Y Y
Roslyn C. Tyler 75 D $20,000 75% Y Y Y Y
S. Chris Jones 76 R $81,242 40% Abst. Abst. Abst. Y Y
C. E. (Cliff) Hayes, Jr. 77 D $2,000 50% Y Y
James A. (Jay) Leftwich, Jr. 78 R $4,000 0% Abst. Y Abst.
Stephen E. Heretick 79 D $1,000 50% Y Y
Matthew James 80 D $12,750 67% Y Y Y
Barry D. Knight 81 R $21,250 67% Y Y Y
Jason S. Miyares 82 R $3,250 50% Y Y
Christopher P. Stolle 83 R $12,000 67% Y Y Y
Glenn R. Davis, Jr. 84 R $5,000 67% Y Y Y
Cheryl B. Turpin 85 D $85 0% N
Jennifer B. Boysko 86 D $7,584 50% Y Y
John J. Bell 87 D $4,250 50% Y Y
Mark L. Cole 88 R $11,295 75% Y Y Y Y
Jerrauld C. (Jay) Jones 89 D $1,375 100% Y
Joseph C. Lindsey 90 D $6,800 67% Y Y Y
Gordon C. Helsel, Jr. 91 R $2,766 67% Y Y Y
Jeion A. Ward 92 D $27,000 50% Y Y Y NV
Michael P. Mullin 93 D $2,500 0% N Y
David E. Yancey 94 R $23,648 67% Y Y Y
Marcia S. (Cia) Price 95 D $1,500 50% Y Y
Brenda L. Pogge 96 R $12,350 33% N Y Y
Christopher K. Peace 97 R $17,100 50% Y Y N Y
M. Keith Hodges 98 R $4,500 67% Y Y Y
Margaret B. Ransone 99 R $12,000 67% Y Y Y
Robert S. Bloxom, Jr. 100 R $2,000 67% Y Y Y
SOURCE: Food & Water Watch analysis of National Institute of Money and Politics data from 1998 to mid-2018 and includes Dominion and affiliates political action committee (PAC)
and Dominion employee campaign contributions; legislation and votes from Virginia’s Legislative Information System.
* Percent pro-Dominion vote calculation based on pro-Dominion recorded votes as a share of votes cast on these five key utility measures. Abstentions and non-voting did not count
as pro-Dominion votes.
Y = Yea; N = Nay; NV = Not Voting; Abst. = Abstain
1 SB 966 House passage, February 26, 2018
2 SB 1398 House passage, April 5, 2017
3 SB 1349 House passage, February 12, 2015
4 HB 3068 House adoption vote #2, April 4, 2007
5 SB 1269 House adoption vote #2, February 24, 1999
a accidentally voted yea, intended to vote nay
b recorded as not-voting, intended to vote yea

Appendix Table 2: Selected Virginia State Senate Utility Regulation Votes and Dominion Campaign Contributions

State Senate vote = N, vote = Y, vote = Y,
SB 1398, 2017) 2 SB 1349, 2015) 3 HB 3068, 2007) 4
mid-2018 SB 966, 2018)1 SB 1269, 1999) 5
T. Montgomery “Monty” Mason 1 D $1,500 67% Y Y Ya

Mamie E. Locke 2 D $33,500 75% Y Y Y Y
Thomas K. Norment, Jr.† 3 R $115,540 100% Y N Y Y Y
Ryan T. McDougle 4 R $43,250 100% Y N Y Y
Lionell Spruill, Sr. 5 D $32,545 80% Y Y Ya Ya Ya
Lynwood W. Lewis, Jr. 6 D $16,500 75% Y Y Y Ya
Frank W. Wagner ‡ †† 7 R $91,685 100% Y N Y Y
William R. DeSteph, Jr. 8 R $2,500 67% Y Y Ya
Jennifer L. McClellan 9 D $53,174 50% N Y Ya Ya
Glen H. Sturtevant, Jr. 10 R $7,016 50% Y Y
Amanda F. Chase** 11 R $3,550 0% N Y
Siobhan S. Dunnavant 12 R $5,625 50% Y Y
Richard H. Black 13 R $6,250 75% N N Y Ya
John A. Cosgrove, Jr. 14 R $16,150 75% Y Y Y Ya
Frank M. Ruff, Jr. 15 R $21,675 100% Y N Y Y Ya
Rosalyn R. Dance 16 D $21,692 75% Y Y Y Ya
Bryce E. Reeves 17 R $18,075 100% Y N Y
L. Louise Lucas 18 D $26,950 60% Y Y NV Y Y
David R. Suetterlein 19 R $0 50% N N
William M. Stanley, Jr. 20 R $16,750 33% N Y Y
John S. Edwards 21 D $29,318 60% Y Y N Y Y
Mark J. Peake 22 R $1,000 0% N Y
Stephen D. Newman 23 R $20,500 60% N N N Y Y
Emmett W. Hanger, Jr. 24 R $22,250 80% Y Y Y Y Y
R. Creigh Deeds 25 D $110,300 20% N Y N Y Na
Mark D. Obenshain 26 R $69,250 100% Y N Y Y
Jill Holtzman Vogel 27 R $37,025 33% Nb Y Y
Richard H. Stuart 28 R $18,750 33% N Y Y
Jeremy S. McPike 29 D $0 0% N Y
Adam P. Ebbin 30 D $18,380 25% N Y N Ya
Barbara A. Favola 31 D $7,750 67% Y Y Y
Janet D. Howell 32 D $46,000 80% Y Y Y Y Y
Jennifer T. Wexton 33 D $3,000 0% N Y N
J. Chapman Petersen 34 D $20,019 0% N Y N
Richard L. Saslaw 35 D $274,250 80% Y Y Y Y Y
Scott A. Surovell** 36 D $8,072 33% Y Y Na
David W. Marsden 37 D $19,500 75% Y Y Y Ya
A. Benton Chafin, Jr. 38 R $8,500 100% Y N Y
George L. Barker 39 D $15,227 67% Y Y Y
Charles W. Carrico, Sr. 40 R $19,200 100% Y N Y Ya
SOURCE: Food & Water Watch analysis of National Institute of Money and Politics data from 1998 to mid-2018 and includes Dominion and affiliates political action committee (PAC)
and Dominion employee campaign contributions; legislation and votes from Virginia’s Legislative Information System.
* Percent pro-Dominion vote calculation based on pro-Dominion recorded votes as a share of votes cast on these five key utility measures. Abstentions and non-voting did not count
as pro-Dominion votes.
Y = Yea; N = Nay; NV = Not Voting; Abst. = Abstain
1 SB 966 Senate passage, February 28, 2018
2 SB 1398 Senate passage, February 7, 2017
3 SB 1349 Senate passage, February 6, 2015 and SB 1349 House passage, February 12, 2015
4 HB 3068 Senate passage, April 4, 2007 and HB 3068 House adoption vote #2, April 4, 2007
5 SB 1269 Senate passage, February 25, 1999 and SB 1269 House adoption vote #2, February 24, 1999
a vote cast while Senator was in House of Delegates
b accidentally voted nay, intended to vote yea
† Patron of 1999 SB 1269
‡ Patron of 2015 SB 1349
** Patron of 2017 SB 1398
†† Patron of 2018 SB 966

Endnotes
1 Will, Erwin H. “A story of Virginia Electric and Power Company.” 23 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8, 11 and 16.
1965 Virginia Dinner address. Newcomen Society. April 27, 1965 24 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 9; Dominion Energy.
at 8. [Press release]. “Dominion Energy/SCANA merger receives FERC
2 Ibid. at 9 to 12. approval.” July 13, 2018.
3 “Weldon, N.C.” Engineering Record. June 10, 1911; “Utility com- 25 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Corporate feud.” 2017).
pany reaches new high.” New York Times. April 15, 1925; Terrell, 26 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8.
Ellen. U.S. Library of Congress. “Robber barons: Gould and
27 U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Number of Pro-
Fisk.” September 26, 2012; “Gould heirs agree; Trustees to repay
ducing Gas Wells. NA1170-SPA-8. Available at www.eia.gov/natu-
estate $20,000,000.” New York Times. December 25, 1926.
ralgas/data.php. Accessed August 2018.
4 Will at 15.
28 Includes Dominion Energy pipelines, its 50 percent stake in
5 Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules, part one: After epic corporate Iroquois Pipeline, and Dominion Midstream’s DECG and Questar
feud, energy giant Dominion emerges to dominate regulators, Pipelines. Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8 and 19; Domin-
legislators.” (“Dominion rules, part one: Corporate feud”). Rich- ion Energy Midstream Partners, LP. SEC 10-K filing. Fiscal year
mond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017; Zullo, Robert. “Domin- ending December 31, 2017 at 9 to 10.
ion’s grip on Va. politics may be loosening; Dominion rules: Is
29 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 44; Dominion Resources,
Dominion’s grip on political power at a crossroads?” (“Dominion
Inc. SEC 10-K. Fiscal year ending December 31, 2008 at 55.
rules: Power at crossroads”). Richmond Times-Dispatch. October
17, 2017. 30 Dominion Energy. “Barclays CEO Energy-Power Conference.”
September 7, 2017 at 5.
6 Will at 17 to 19.
31 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Corporate feud.” 2017).
7 Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules, part one: Attempted coup.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017. 32 Dominion Energy. “Notice of 2018 Annual Meeting of Sharehold-
ers and Proxy Statement.” March 23, 2018 at 44 to 45.
8 Ibid.
33 Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules: A man of influence, Dominion
9 Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules, part one: Dominion takes
Energy chairman and CEO’s reach is long in state, regional af-
control.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017.
fairs.” (“Dominion rules: Man of influence.”) Richmond Times-
10 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Attempted coup.” 2017). Dispatch. October 13, 2017.
11 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Dominion takes control.” 34 Heath, Thomas. “Va. energy executive goes Hollywood, without
2017). the big budget.” Washington Post. May 19, 2014; Hausman, Sandy.
12 Ibid. “The making of the film: ‘Field of Lost Shoes.’” WVTF FM-89.1. April
13 Murray, Alan. “Introducing the new Fortune 500 list.” Fortune. 22, 2014; Suderman, Alan. “State lawmaker’s movie got $1 million
May 21, 2018; Dominion Energy, Inc. U.S. Securities and Ex- in credits, grants.” Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. November 17, 2014.
change Commission (SEC). 10-K filing. Fiscal year ending Decem- 35 Suderman (2014); Wilson, Patrick. “Del. Peter Farrell of Henrico
ber 31, 2017 at 8. won’t seek re-election.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. March 10,
14 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8. 2017.
15 Dominion Energy, Inc. “2017 Summary Annual Report.” 2018 at 36 Tebaldi, Claudia, Dennis Adams-Smith and Nicole Heller. Climate
18, 20 and 21. Central. “The Heat Is On: U.S. Temperature Trends.” June 2012 at
5.
16 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 and 39. Large power
plants included any complexes with 250 megawatts of capacity 37 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “What Climate
or more. Change Means for Virginia.” EPA 430-F-16-048. August 2016 at 1
to 2.
17 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 14, 22 and 38 to 39. Domin-
ion sells power on the PJM Interconnection, California Inde- 38 Gutierrez, Benjamin, S. Jeffress Williams and E. Robert Thieler.
pendent Service Operator, Midcontinent Independent Service U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
Operator and the Independent Service Operator New England. “Potential for Shoreline Changes Due to Sea-Level Rise Along
the U.S. Mid-Atlantic Region: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File
18 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8; “Top utility companies in
Report 2007-1278.” 2007 at 12.
US.” Compelo Energy. August 20, 2017.
39 Spanger-Siegfried, Erika et al. Union of Concerned Scientists.
19 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 and 39.
“When Rising Seas Hit Home: Hard Choices Ahead for Hundreds
20 Ibid. of U.S. Coastal Communities.” July 2017 at 1, 25 and Figure 11.
21 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 25; Geiger, Jacob. “Domin- 40 Trenberth, Kevin E., John T. Fasullo and Theodore G. Shepherd.
ion plans to build natural gas power plant in Southside.” Rich- “Attribution of climate extreme events.” Nature Climate Change.
mond Times-Dispatch. March 26, 2015; Zullo, Robert. “Southside Vol. 5. August 2015 at 725 to 727.
celebrates groundbreaking of second Dominion natural gas
41 EPA (2016) at 2.
plant.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. December 1, 2016; Food &
Water Watch analysis of U.S. Census Bureau. 2016 American 42 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Service As-
Community Survey Data. “Demographic and Housing Estimates” sessment: Hurricane Isabel September 18-19, 2003.” May 2004
and “Selected Economic Characteristics.” Available at https:// at 2, 3 and 5.
factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. 43 Boon, John, Harry Wang and Jian Shen. Virginia Institute for Ma-
Accessed August 2018. rine Science. “Planning for Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flooding.”
22 Oil Change International. “The Sky’s Limit: Why the Paris Climate October 2008 at 2; Boon, J. D. “Isabel’s Silent Partners: Seasonal
Goals Require a Managed Decline of Fossil Fuel Production.” and Secular Sea Level Change.” 2005 at 49. In Sellner, Kevin G.
September 2016 at 20; Drijfhout, Sybren et al. “Catalogue of and Nina Fisher (Eds.). Hurricane Isabel in Perspective: Proceed-
abrupt shifts in Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change cli- ings of a Conference. Chesapeake Research Consortium.
mate models.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
October 12, 2015 at E5778 and E5784.

44 Smith, K. R. et al. “Human health: impacts, adaptation, and 58 Hladky, Gregory B. “Energy markets.” Hartford Courant. January
co-benefits.” Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and 23, 2018; Blair, Russell. “State ethics filings.” Hartford Courant.
Vulnerability. Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of June 20, 2017; Gosselin, Kenneth R. “Millstone bill ok’d, but with
Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergov- caveat.” Hartford Courant. November 1, 2017.
ernmental Panel on Climate Change. 2014 at 717; EPA (2016) at 2. 59 Zullo, Robert. “Dominion rules, part three: ‘A policy area with
45 EPA (2016) at 2; Repetto, Robert. Demos. “Economic and Envi- massive implications.’” (“Dominion rules, part three: Massive
ronmental Impacts of Climate Change in Virginia.” April 19, 2012 implications.”) Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017.
at 7 to 8. 60 Suderman, Alan. “Dominion increased political spending tenfold
46 Repetto (2012) at 7; Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsi- while pushing for legislation that could significantly increase
bility. “Climate Change and Health in Virginia.” Health & Energy power bills.” Associated Press. July 11, 2018.
Brief. February 2017 at 2; Natural Resources Defense Council. 61 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Corporate feud.” 2017);
“Climate and Health in Virginia.” February 2015 at 3. Rosenfeld, Megan and Ken Ringle. “Howell ties Dalton fund with
47 Smith et al. (2014) at 717 to 718, 734 and 742. Vepco.” Washington Post. October 27, 1977.
48 Murphy, T. “U.S. shale gas trends — economic and global impli- 62 Zullo (“Dominion rules, part three: Massive implications.” 2017).
cations.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Vol. 745. 2016 at 63 Food & Water Watch analysis of NIMP data. Selected business
1 and 6; Southern Environmental Law Center. [Press release]. classifications contributions to candidates and committees in
“Study: proposed interstate natural gas pipelines not needed.” elections in Virginia. Available at https://www.followthemoney.
September 22, 2016; Peng, Wei. Princeton University. “How org. Accessed August 2018. Includes those employed by Do-
would shale gas influence the investment in renewables? A per- minion subsidiaries including Dominion Midstream Partners,
spective from price and price risks in gas and electricity market.” Virginia Power and Questar Gas (in 2017 after its acquisition).
January 2012 at 1 and 6; Jackson, Robert B. et al. Duke Univer-
64 Food & Water Watch analysis of NIMP data. Selected business
sity, Center on Global Change. “Research and policy recommen-
classifications contributions to select candidates; Virginia Gen-
dations for hydraulic fracturing and shale-gas extraction.” 2011
eral Assembly. “Virginia House of Delegates Member Listings.”
at 2; Jackson, Robert B. et al. “Natural gas pipeline leaks across
Available at https://virginiageneralassembly.gov/house/mem-
Washington, DC.” Environmental Science & Technology. Vol. 48,
bers/members.php. Accessed August 2018; Virginia General As-
Iss. 3. January 2014 at 2051.
sembly. “Senate of Virginia, Telephone List.” Available at https://
49 Wilson, Patrick and Graham Moomaw. “Dominion rules: Domin- apps.senate.virginia.gov/Senator/index.php. Accessed August
ion executives bundle donations to Virginia lawmakers’ cam- 2018.
paign accounts.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017.
65 Schapiro, Jeff E. “McAuliffe, Dominion not so distant.” Richmond
50 Martz (“Dominion rules: Man of influence.” 2017). Times-Dispatch. April 17, 2009.
51 This $59 million total includes Food & Water Watch analysis 66 Helderman, Rosalind S. “No limits on gifts or questions.” Wash-
of federal and state campaign contributions, federal lobbying ington Post. August 19, 2009.
disclosure, and Virginia gifts to legislators and officials from
67 Lipton, Eric and Steve Eder. “As no. 2 Kaine finds gifts subject to
Federal Election Commission, National Institute of Money and
scrutiny.” New York Times. July 25, 2016.
Politics (NIMP), U.S. Senate Lobbying Disclosure Act Database
and Virginia Public Access Project. Food & Water Watch estimate 68 Rein, Lisa. “Democrats pitch big inaugural tent for weekend
is likely an underestimate, as it is limited by available campaign gala.” Washington Post. January 10, 2002.
contribution, lobbying and gift data that do not uniformly 69 Schneider, Gregory S. “Pipelines inject division into Northam
provide data from 1998 to 2018. Dominion gave $10 million in campaign.” Washington Post. July 31, 2017.
campaign contributions in Virginia from 1998 to 2018; it made 70 The pledge also applied to the smaller Virginia utility Appala-
$8 million in federal campaign contributions from 2007 to 2018; chian Power. Portnoy, Jenna. “Democrats spar over corporate
it spent $31 million on federal lobbying from 1999 to 2008; it cash.” Washington Post. May 25, 2018; Activate Virginia. “Pledge
gave $6.3 million in political contributions in its dues to trade to Refuse Dominion & Appalachian Power Contributions.” Avail-
associations and $1.4 million to state leadership political action able at www.activatevirginia.org/pledge/. Accessed July 2018.
groups from 2010 to 2017; it made $2.2 million in campaign
contributions in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massa- 71 Schneider (May 4, 2017); Nirappil (May 25, 2017).
chusetts, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin since 1998 (although not all 72 Schneider (July 31, 2017).
early years were available); and Dominion gave over $400,000 in 73 Ibid.; Schneider (May 4, 2017).
gifts to Virginia legislators and officials.
74 Schneider, Gregory S. “Dominion cultivated grass roots in
52 [Editorial]. “Virginia requires campaign finance reform.” Newport election-year push for pipeline plan.” Washington Post. Novem-
News Daily Press. July 18, 2018; Reinhard, Beth. “Northam owns ber 30, 2017; Schneider, Gregory S. “For swearing-in, soul and a
stocks in Dominion, other companies with extensive interests in flyover.” Washington Post. January 13, 2018.
Virginia.” Washington Post. October 18, 2017.
75 Nirappil, Fenit. “Va. says it erred on rule for natural-gas pipelines.”
53 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Corporate feud.” 2017); Nirap- Washington Post. May 28, 2017; Pipkin, Whitney. “Construction of
pil, Fenit. “Democrats in lieutenant governor’s race vow not to Atlantic Coast Pipeline could be halted by endangered species
take Dominion money.” Washington Post. May 25, 2017. concerns.” Chesapeake Bay Magazine. May 17, 2018.
54 Schneider, Gregory S. “Politicians rebuffing Dominion’s open 76 Zullo, Robert. “DEQ director Paylor begins serving under his
wallet.” Washington Post. May 4, 2017; Zullo, Robert. “Dominion’s fourth governor.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. May 14, 2018.
new office tower in downtown Richmond gets a name.” Rich-
77 Food & Water Watch analysis of U.S. Federal Election Commis-
mond Times-Dispatch. August 15, 2017.
sion (FEC) bulk data. Political action committee (PAC) summary
55 Maykuth, Andrew. “Dominion’s hopes rise for ambitious natural for the 2017-2018, 2015-2016, 2013-2014, 2011-2012, 2009-2010,
gas exports.” Philadelphia Inquirer. July 13, 2014; Campbell, Co- 2007-2008 election cycles. Available at https://www.fec.gov/
lin. “Federal regulators approve Calvert Co. LNG export plant.” data/advanced/?tab=bulk-data. Accessed August 2018; FEC in-
Baltimore Sun. September 30, 2014. dividual contributions, employer “Dominion” for the 2017-2018,
56 Paley, Amit R. “Over objections, Calvert Board backs pipeline.” 2015-2016, 2013-2014, 2011-2012, 2009-2010, 2007-2008 cycles.
Washington Post. November 18, 2004. Available at https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-con-
57 Singer, Stephen. “Waterford.” Hartford Courant. August 12, 2017. tributions/. Accessed August 2018.

78 Bredemeier, Kenneth. “Allen’s wife to take Dominion board 93 Fiske and Nuckols (January 21, 2007); Fiske, Warren. “Relying on
seat.” Washington Post, April 9, 2003. lobbyists.” Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. February 18, 2001.
79 Turque, Bill and Miranda S. Spivack. “Local politicians’ asset 94 Wilson and Moomaw (2017); Virginia Assembly. 1999 Session. SB
reports released.” Washington Post. June 15, 2006. 1269. Electric Utility Restructuring Act. Introduced by Senator
80 Kumar, Anita. “The trail: Dominion Resources hosts several Norment. January 21, 1999.
states’ delegations.” Washington Post. September 2, 2008. 95 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Attempted coup.” 2017).
81 U.S. Senate. Lobbying Disclosure Act Database. Registrant and 96 Suderman (2018).
client lobbying for Dominion Energy, Dominion Resources, Que- 97 Schneider, Gregory S. “From scorn to payday: Dominion’s big
star and Virginia Power. Available at https://soprweb.senate. play.” Washington Post. March 9, 2018.
gov/index.cfm?event=selectfields. Accessed August 2018.
98 Schneider, Gregory S. “Dispute clouds bill on utilities.” Washing-
82 Dominion Energy. “2017 Political Contributions and Lobbying ton Post. February 6, 2018.
Expenses.”; Dominion Energy. “2016 Political Contributions and
99 Ress, Dave. “Part time job with full-time rewards.” Newport News
Lobbying Expenses.”; Dominion Energy. “2015 Political Contribu-
Daily Press. November 16, 2014.
tions and Lobbying Expenses.”; Dominion Energy. “2014 Political
Contributions and Lobbying Expenses.”; Dominion Energy. “2013 100 Schapiro, Jeff E. “Warner’s top lawyer joins utility.” Richmond
Political Contributions and Lobbying Expenses.”; Dominion Times-Dispatch. May 6, 2005.
Energy. “2012 Political Contributions and Lobbying Expenses.”; 101 Schneider, Gregory S. “Northam’s neutrality on gas pipes may
Dominion Energy. “2011 Political Contributions and Lobbying win votes.” Washington Post. May 17, 2017; Schneider (November
Expenses.”; Dominion Energy. “2010 Political Contributions and 30, 2017).
Lobbying Expenses.”; Dominion Energy. “2009 Political Contribu- 102 Matthews, Christopher M. “Pipeline companies struggle to con-
tions and Lobbying Expenses.” Available at https://www.domin- tend with reinvigorated protests.” Wall Street Journal. February
ionenergy.com/investors/governance/political-contributions. 6, 2017.
Accessed August 2018.
103 Suderman (2018); Wilks, Avery G. “Ads touting Dominion-SCANA
83 Reilly, John Francis et al. Internal Revenue Service. “IRC 501(c) deal are back, just ahead of a key vote on SC power bills.” Colum-
(6) Organizations.” 2003 at K-1 to K-3; Internal Revenue Service. bia (SC) State. April 9, 2018.
“Business Leagues.” Available at https://www.irs.gov/charities-
non-profits/other-non-profits/business-leagues. Accessed 104 Loveless, Bill. “U.S. natural gas projects face Keystone-like resis-
August 2018; Maguire, Robert. Center for Responsive Politics. tance.” USA Today. May 17, 2015.
“Dark money, super PAC spending surges ahead of 2018 mid- 105 Schneider, Gregory S. “Dominion pipeline campaign gets sup-
terms.” August 25, 2017. port: Company poured resources into online groups.” Staunton
84 Dominion Energy. “Political Contributions and Lobbying Expens- (VA) News Leader. December 3, 2017.
es.” 2009 to 2017 disclosures; Center for Public Integrity. “527s 106 Schneider (November 30, 2017).
— Frequently Asked Questions.” November 21, 2005; Cohen, 107 Nirappil (May 25, 2017).
Patricia et al. “I.R.S. will no longer force Kochs and other groups
108 Schneider (March 9, 2018).
to disclose donors.” New York Times. July 17, 2018.
109 Geiger, Jacob. “Dominion wields influence with political contribu-
85 Food & Water Watch analysis of NIMP data. Selected business
tions, charitable donations.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. February
classifications contributions to candidates and committees in
14, 2015; Dominion Energy. “Grant Guidelines and Restrictions.”
elections in Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massa-
Available at www.dominionenergy.com/community/dominion-
chusetts, Ohio, Utah and Wisconsin. Available at https://www.
energy-charitable-foundation/apply-for-a-grant/grant-guide-
followthemoney.org. Accessed August 2018. Not all state disclo-
lines-and-restrictions. Accessed August 2018.
sure data goes back to 1998, so this likely is an underestimate of
Dominion’s campaign spending. 110 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 12 and 13.
86 Marley, Patrick. “Doyle defends meeting with utility on power 111 Rankin, Sarah. “Documents reveal immense outreach on Atlan-
plant sale.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 26, 2006. tic Coast Pipeline.” Associated Press. March 8, 2018.
87 Davidson, Lee. “Gov. Gary Herbert is raising money as if he’s run- 112 “Dominion gives 13 communities total of $110,000.” Cleveland
ning for re-election — though he says he’s not.” Salt Lake Tribune. Plain Dealer. April 7, 2014.
January 14, 2018; Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 16. 113 Nass, Shannon M. “Watershed organizations funded by mini-
88 Food & Water Watch analysis of Virginia Public Access Project grants.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. October 30, 2011.
(VPAP) gifts database. Available at www.vpap.org/gifts/. 114 “Dominion CEO, foundation gave money to lawmaker’s charity.”
Accessed August 2018. Associated Press. January 24, 2018.
89 Ibid.; Olivo, Antonio. “Races for Va. House focus more on ethics.” 115 Geiger (February 14, 2015); Rankin (March 8, 2018).
Washington Post. September 22, 2013; Kane, Patrick. “Turkish 116 Rankin (March 8, 2018).
delight for two local lawmakers.” Petersburg Progress. January
117 Fisher, Kathryn. [Letter to the editor]. “Another threat to the
30, 2013; Ress, Dave. “Giving gifts and gaining influence.” New-
Potomac River.” Washington Post. December 29, 2017.
port News Daily Press. November 21, 2014.
118 Pierobon, Jim. “Virginia ‘community solar’ plan leaves out the
90 Food & Water Watch analysis of VPAP gifts database.
‘community,’ advocates say.” Energy News Network. March 16,
91 Grainger, David. “In pursuit of the gentleman bird.” Fortune. 2017; “McAuliffe signs 11 solar, other renewable energy bills.”
February 19, 2001; Ress (November 21, 2014). Fauquier Times. May 8, 2017.
92 Food & Water Watch analysis of VPAP gifts database shows that 119 Zullo (“Dominion rules: Power at crossroads.” 2017).
Dominion reported hosting Sen. Norment at Gillionville in 2009,
120 Knight, Jerry. “With deregulation, utilities make a once unthink-
2010, 2011 and 2012. Sen. Norment reported receiving a hunting
able transformation.” Washington Post. August 25, 2003.
trip from Dominion in 2001. Fiske, Warren and Christina Nuck-
ols. “Dominion, generous to lawmakers, pushes for oversight 121 Corneli, Steve and Steve Kihm. “Will distributed energy end the
overhaul.” Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. January 21, 2007. This reports utility natural monopoly.” Electricity Policy. June 2016 at 2.
further that Sen. Norment hunted with Dominion’s CEO “several 122 Martz, Michael. “Power plants abroad plug in state expertise.”
times a year at his own expense.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 8, 1992; McWilliams, Gary.
“The quiet man who’s jolting utilities.” Business Week. June 9, 1997.

123 61 Fed. Reg. 21540 to 21544. May 10, 1996. 150 Fiske and Nuckols (January 21, 2007); Fiske and Nuckols (Febru-
124 Knight, Jerry. “Deregulation gamble fails to pay off for Constella- ary 7, 2007).
tion.” Washington Post. November 5, 2001. 151 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’”
125 Johnson, Mark. “Fewer power plants slated; Worries rise.” Los 2017).
Angeles Times. December 31, 2001; Drutman, Lee. “Plant pro- 152 Ibid.
posed for Bucks.” Philadelphia Inquirer. November 23, 2000. 153 Adcox, Seanna. “Utilities’ hot nuclear bet goes cold.” Orlando
126 Parker, Akweli. “Dominion to flex muscles utility CEO reveals Sentinel. August 14, 2017; Ramsey, John. “Economist: North Anna
aggressive plans at annual meeting of shareholders.” Norfolk 3 would be most expensive nuclear reactor ever built in U.S.”
Virginian-Pilot. April 29, 2000. Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 12, 2016.
127 Edwards, Greg. “Profit forecast — Weather rules the trading of 154 Zullo (“Dominion rules, part three: Massive implications.” 2017).
electricity.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. July 16, 2001. 155 Schneider (March 9, 2018).
128 Shell, Adam. “Enron’s woes smack earnings.” USA Today. January 156 Virginia Poverty Law Center. “The Myth of Virginia’s Rate Uto-
18, 2002. pia.” May 3, 2017 at 3 to 5.
129 Knight (2003). 157 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: Virginia’s regulatory land-
130 Energy Policy Act of 2005. Pub. L. 109-58. August 8, 2005 at scape.” 2017).
§368, §390, §1221, §1231 and §1241. 158 Haner, Stephen D. “Virginians should be paying lower electric rates;
131 Ibid. §1263. that we’re not is no surprise.” Washington Post. January 21, 2018.
132 “Deregulation bill finishes long road through assembly.” Newport 159 Martz (“Dominion rules, part one: Corporate feud.” 2017).
News Daily Press. February 26, 1999. 160 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’”
133 Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules, part two: Virginia’s regulatory 2017); Eilperin, Juliet. “EPA’s Pruitt signs proposed rule to un-
landscape turns upside down, as SCC loses sway at the General ravel Clean Power Plan.” Washington Post. October 10, 2017.
Assembly.” (“Dominion rules, part two: Virginia’s regulatory 161 Webb, Mark. “An electric rate freeze is good for Virginia.” Wash-
landscape.”) Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017; Fiske ington Post. March 19, 2017.
and Nuckols (January 21, 2007).
162 Zullo (“Dominion rules, part three: Massive implications.” 2017).
134 Piller, Dan. “Barton: Sale ‘bad deal for consumers.’” Fort Worth
163 Schneider (March 9, 2018).
Star-Telegram. March 13, 2007.
164 Virginia Poverty Law Center (2017) at 8.
135 Ress, Dave. “The Peninsula’s power player.” Newport News Daily
Press. January 10, 2016. 165 Virginia State Corporation Commission. “Status Report:
Implementation of the Virginia Electric Utility Regulation Act.”
136 Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules, part two: ‘They attacked the
September 1, 2017 at 5 to 8 and note 17 at 8.
messenger.’” (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messen-
ger.’”) Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017. 166 Schneider, Gregory S. “Bipartisan measures would alter Domin-
ion rate freeze.” Washington Post. January 20, 2018.
137 Shapiro, Carolyn. “Program provides peek at future of power.”
Newport News Daily Press. January 1, 2002; Martz (“Dominion 167 Schneider (March 9, 2018).
rules, part two: Virginia’s regulatory landscape.” 2017); Fiske and 168 Va. Ann. Code §56-585.1.A.1; Schneider (January 20, 2018).
Nuckols (January 21, 2007). 169 Schneider, Gregory S. “Dominion bill passes in Va. with key
138 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’” change.” Washington Post. February 14, 2018.
2017); Fiske and Nuckols (January 21, 2007). 170 Va. Ann. Code §56-600.4, §56-600.5 and §56-600.7.
139 Fiske and Nuckols (January 21, 2007). 171 Virginia State Corporation Commission (2017) at 7.
140 Rein, Lisa. “Decade of deregulation felt in climbing bills.” Wash- 172 Va. Ann. Code §56-585.1.A.5-6.
ington Post. April 18, 2008.
173 Ibid.; Keam, Mark L. “Why I’m breaking up with Dominion En-
141 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’” ergy.” Washington Post. March 25, 2018.
2017).
174 Va. Ann. Code §56-585.1.A.8(d); Schneider, Gregory S. “Delegates
142 Fiske and Nuckols (January 21, 2007). warn on rush to redo Dominion oversight.” Washington Post.
143 Smith, Rebecca. “Incentives for utility stir debate.” Wall Street January 25, 2018.
Journal. February 26, 2007; Martz, Michael. “Dominion rules, 175 Schneider, Gregory S. “Va. utilities could forgo rebates for
part two: ‘They’re not the problem — it’s the General Assembly.” investment.” Washington Post. February 9, 2018.
(“Dominion rules, part two: ‘They’re not the problem.’”) Rich-
mond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017; Martz (“Dominion rules, 176 Funk, John. “Shale gas can transform U.S., says Dominion CEO.”
part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’” 2017). Cleveland Plain Dealer. June 28, 2014.
144 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’” 177 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8.
2017). 178 Ibid. at 16, 20, 24 and Exhibit 21; Questar Gas Company. SEC
145 “Dominion’s power in megawatt lobbying.” Norfolk Virginian- 10-K. Fiscal year ending December 31, 2017 at 4 and 6; Shale XP.
Pilot. February 26, 2007; Ress (November 21, 2014). Oil & Gas Operator: Wexpro Company and Wexpro II Company.
Available at www.shalexp.com/wexpro-company and www.
146 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘They’re not the problem.’” shalexp.com/wexpro-ii-company. Accessed September 2018.
2017).
179 Downey, John. “Could Duke Energy’s Atlantic Coast Pipeline
147 Kumar, Anita. “Dominion Va. customers are bracing for bigger investment be riskier than it looks?” Charlotte Business Journal.
bills.” Washington Post. June 15, 2008. November 12, 2015.
148 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘Attacked the messenger.’” 180 Gottlieb, Barbara. “From Flint to fracking, EPA can learn from its
2017). mistakes.” The Hill. March 23, 2016; Frazier, Reid. “Pennsylvania
149 Martz (“Dominion rules, part two: ‘They’re not the problem.’” confirms first fracking-related earthquakes.” The Allegheny Front.
2017); Fiske and Nuckols (January 21, 2007); Fiske, Warren and February 18, 2017; Jackson, Robert B. et al. “Natural gas pipeline
Christina Nuckols. “Power switch.” Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. Febru- leaks across Washington, DC.” Environmental Science & Technol-
ary 7, 2007. ogy. Vol. 48, Iss. 3. January 2014 at 2051; Troutman, Melissa

A. et al. “Hidden data suggests fracking created widespread, 196 Penn State Extension. [Fact sheet]. “Understanding Natural Gas
systemic impact in Pennsylvania.” Public Herald. January 23, Compressor Stations.” 2015 at 1.
2017; Ingraffea, Anthony R. et al. “Assessment and risk analysis 197 Bottalico, Brandi. “Regulatory commission approves Myersville
of casing and cement impairment in oil and gas wells in Penn- gas compressor station expansion.” Frederick (MD) News Post.
sylvania, 2000-2012.” Proceedings of the National Academy of September 9, 2016.
Sciences. May 2014 at 2; See Keranen, K. M. et al. “Sharp increase
198 Martz, Michael. “Federal regulators set new comment sessions on
in central Oklahoma seismicity since 2008 induced by massive
pipeline for Va., W.Va.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. May 4, 2016; Mar-
wastewater injection.” Science. July 3, 2014; McDermott-Levy,
tz, Michael. “Proposed pipeline faces new questions.” Richmond
Ruth et al. “Fracking, the environment, and health. New energy
Times-Dispatch. April 30, 2015; Martz, Michael. “Va. land would play
practices may threaten public health.” American Journal of
role in gas line.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. August 27, 2015.
Nursing. Vol. 113, No. 6. June 2013 at 48; Mall, Amy and Dianne
Donnelly. Natural Resources Defense Council. “Concerning the 199 Russo, P. N. and D. O. Carpenter. Institute for Health and the
Regulation of Wastes Associated With the Exploration, Develop- Environment, University at Albany. Prepared for the Southwest
ment, or Production of Crude Oil or Natural Gas or Geothermal Pennsylvania Environmental Health Project. “Health Effects
Energy.” September 2010 at 8 and 9; Urbina, Ian. “Regulation lax Associated With Stack Chemical Emissions From NYS Natural
as gas wells’ tainted water hits rivers.” New York Times. February Gas Compressor Stations: 2008-2014.” October 12, 2017 at 18,
26, 2011; EPA. [External review draft]. “Assessment of the Poten- 23, 25 and 26; Boyle, Meleah D. et al. “A pilot study to assess
tial Impacts of Hydraulic Fracturing for Oil and Gas on Drinking residential noise exposure near natural gas compressor
Water Resources.” EPA/600/R-15/047a. June 2015 at ES-14 and stations.” PLOS ONE. April 3, 2017 at 1 and 2.
ES-15; Slonecker, E. T. et al. U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Depart- 200 Russo and Carpenter (2017) at 25 and 26.
ment of the Interior. “Landscape Consequences of Natural Gas 201 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8 and 37.
Extraction in Bradford and Washington Counties, Pennsylvania,
2004-2010.” (Open-File Report 2012-1154.) 2012 at 8; Cooley, 202 Ibid. at 17 and 37.
Heather and Kristina Connelly. Pacific Institute. “Hydraulic Frac- 203 Ibid. at 37; “Dominion to work on Hastings natural gas plant
turing and Water Resources: Separating the Frack From the Fic- in late September.” Reuters. August 13, 2013; EIA. Natural Gas
tion.” June 2012 at 27; Warco, Kathie O. “Fracking truck runs off Gross Withdrawals and Production and Number of Produc-
road; contents spill.” Observer-Reporter (Washington and Green ing Wells. In 2016, Pennsylvania’s 66,300 gas wells produced
counties, Pennsylvania). October 21, 2010; National Research 5,313,250,000,000 cubic feet of gas, an average of about
Council. National Academies of Science. “Induced Seismicity 220,000 cubic feet per day. Data available at www.eia.gov/dnav/
Potential in Energy Technologies.” 2013 at 86 to 87. ng/ng_prod_wells_s1_a.htm and www.eia.gov/dnav/ng/ng_
181 Howarth, Robert W. et al. “Methane and the greenhouse-gas prod_sum_a_EPG0_FGW_mmcf_a.htm. Accessed August 2018.
footprint of natural gas from shale formations.” Climatic Change. 204 Los Angeles Times Editorial Board. “The largest methane leak in
April 2011 at 679, 687 and 688; Howarth, Robert W. “A bridge to U.S. history began one year ago at Aliso Canyon. What have we
nowhere: methane emissions and the greenhouse gas footprint learned since then?” Los Angeles Times. October 22, 2016.
of natural gas.” Energy Science & Engineering. 2014 at 1 and 2; 205 Schneider, Gregory S. “Their high ground is up a tree.” Washing-
Jackson et al. (2014) at 2051; Ingraffea et al. (2014) at 2. ton Post. April 22, 2018.
182 Arthur, J. D. et al. “Hydraulic fracturing considerations for natu- 206 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 30 to 31.
ral gas wells of the Marcellus shale.” Prepared for presentation
207 Schneider (November 30, 2017).
at The Ground Water Protection Council. Cincinnati, Ohio. 21-24
September 2008 at 7; Pennsylvania Department of Environmen- 208 Schneider (May 4, 2017).
tal Protection, Office of Oil and Gas Management, Compliance 209 Duke Power owns 47 percent and Southern Gas owns 5 percent.
Report, from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2016. Available at Dominion Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8, 11 and 19;
http://www.depreportingservices.state.pa.us/. Accessed Sep- Henderson, Bruce. “Second major gas pipeline to enter NC.”
tember 2017. Charlotte Observer. September 2, 2014.
183 Dominion Resources, Inc. Form 10-K. Fiscal year ending Decem- 210 Koch, Wendy. “Fracking boom prompts $5B Dominion gas pipe-
ber 31, 2016 at 16, 18 and 25. line.” USA Today. September 2, 2014.
184 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 17. 211 Webb, Rick. “Dominion would police pipeline.” Staunton (VA)
185 Ibid. at 8; Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 9; Dominion News Leader. June 26, 2015; Koch, Wendy. “Fracking boom
Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 6 and 24. prompts gas pipeline development.” Murfreesboro (TN) Daily
News Journal. October 25, 2014.
186 Questar Gas (SEC 10-K 2017) at 4.
212 Atlantic Coast Pipeline, LLC. (ACP) “Abbreviated Application for
187 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 19 to 20; Funk, John.
a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and Blanket
“Dominion building plants, pipelines.” Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Certificate: Volume 1 — Public.” September 18, 2015 at 2 and 6.
December 21, 2012; French, David. “Williams Co’s PE partners in
Caiman Energy II seek to cash out: Sources.” Reuters. March 9, 213 Ibid. at 2, 9, 10, 14, 17 and 33; ACP. “Project Overview Map.”
2018; Maidenberg, Micah. "Dominion to sell stake in natural-gas March 2016.
services venture Blue Racer." Wall Street Journal. November 1, 214 Rankin, Sarah. “Dominion-SCANA merger could mean pipeline
2018. expansion.” Houston Chronicle. January 7, 2018.
188 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8 and 37. 215 Kunkel, Cathy and Tom Sanzillo. Institute for Energy Econom-
189 Ibid. at 8 and 16. ics and Financial Analysis. “Risks Associated With Natural Gas
Pipeline Expansion in Appalachia. Proposed Atlantic Coast and
190 Ibid. at 16 and 19.
Mountain Valley Pipelines Needs Greater Scrutiny.” April 2016 at
191 Ibid. at 16; Dominion Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 6 and 18. Ratepayers will ultimately cover the costs of the 96 percent
10. of the gas already committed to 20-year contracts to Duke and
192 Dominion Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8 to 10. Dominion.
193 Dominion Energy (September 7, 2017) at 23. 216 Dominion Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 11; ACP. “Proj-
194 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 18 and 19. ect Update.” November 2017 at 1; Shenandoah Valley Network,
Regional Campaigns Gas Pipelines. Available at www.svnva.org/
195 Ibid. at 37. regional-campaigns/gas-pipelines/. Accessed August 2018; Do-

minion Pipeline Monitoring Coalition. About the coalition. Avail- 236 Food & Water Watch analysis of data from Pipeline and Haz-
able at http://pipelineupdate.org/about/. Accessed August 2018. ardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA). Distribution,
217 Dominion Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 11; Caval- Transmission & Gathering, LNG, and Liquid Accident and Inci-
laro, Gabe. “Atlantic Coast Pipeline: What happens from here.” dent data. Available at https://www.phmsa.dot.gov. Accessed
Staunton (VA) News Leader. October 18, 2017. May 2018.
218 Reinhard, Beth. “Northam owns stock in Dominion, other com- 237 Kunkel and Sanzillo (2016) at 14 and 15; Smith, Sarah. SNL Finan-
panies with extensive interests in VA.” Washington Post. October cial. “As US rushes to build gas lines, failure rate of new pipes
18, 2017; Nirappil (May 28, 2017); Pipkin (2018); Cavallaro (Octo- has spiked.” September 9, 2015.
ber 18, 2017). 238 Smith, Sarah (2015).
219 Cavallaro, Gabe. “Pipeline sues Augusta landowner: Eminent 239 Litvak, Anya and Karen Kane. “Officials: W.Va. explosion was
domain case joins others.” Staunton (VA) News Leader. December along newly installed natural gas line.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
20, 2017; Schneider (April 22, 2018); Schneider, Gregory S. “Va. June 7, 2018.
pipeline foes claim partial victory.” Washington Post. December 240 Eminent domain is contained in the U.S. Constitution’s Fifth
13, 2017. Amendment in the clause “nor shall private property be taken
220 Schneider (December 13, 2017). for public use, without just compensation.” It is also in Virginia
221 Schneider (April 22, 2018). statute. Va. Code Ann. §1-219.1.A-B.
222 “Appeals court tosses key permits for Atlantic Coast Pipeline.” 241 Hinkle (2015).
New York Times. August 6, 2018. 242 Va. Code Ann.§56-49.2; Va. Code Ann. §56-259.A; Va. Code Ann.
223 U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Letter to §56-580.D.
Dominion Energy Transmission Certificates. Re: Notification of 243 15 USC §717f(h).
Stop Work Order. August 10, 2018. 244 More than half of the ACP contracted capacity would go to
224 Borns, Patricia. “New report casts doubt on pipeline benefits.” North Carolina-based power companies, Duke, Piedmont and
Staunton (VA) News Leader. July 9, 2015. the Public Service Company of North Carolina. ACP (2015) at
225 Food & Water Watch estimate based on Phillips, Spencer, Cara Exhibit 2.1; Adams, Duncan. “Pipeline foes get lawyer’s advice.”
Bottorff and Sonia Wang. Key-Log Economics LLC. “Economic Roanoke Times. November 18, 2014; Palermo, Jill. “Sparks fly over
Costs of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.” February 2016 at 43; U.S. state approval for power lines linked to Amazon.” Fauquier (VA)
Travel Association. Prepared for Virginia Tourism Authority. “The Times. April 13, 2017.
Economic Impact of Domestic Travel on Virginia Counties 2016.” 245 Adams, Duncan. “Landowner rights vs. public need.” Roanoke
September 2017; ACP. “Project Overview Map.” March 2016; Times. November 9, 2014.
September 18, 2015 at 14. Phillips, Bottorff and Wang estimate 246 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 12.
job and payroll losses for four counties based on a 10 percent
247 “Anti-pipeline group stop at Charlottesville-area Democratic,
decline in tourism dollars from Virginia Tourism Authority
Republican offices.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 29,
county figures. Food & Water Watch applied a 10 percent decline
2014; “NC homeowners refuse to cooperate with Atlantic Coast
in tourism jobs and payroll based on Virginia Tourism Authority
Pipeline plans.” WNCT-TV CBS Channel 9 (Greenville, NC). Novem-
county data for counties and cities along the ACP route.
ber 11, 2014; Murawski, John. “Dominion sends letter to NC land
226 Phillips, Bottorff and Wang (2016) at 42. owners who won’t cooperate on gas pipeline.” Raleigh News &
227 Moyer, Traci. “Study warns of big loss of revenue.” Staunton (VA) Observer. November 11, 2014; Va. Code Ann. §56-49.01; Adams,
News Leader. February 17, 2016; Borns (2015); Stanton, Elizabeth Duncan. “Pipeline plan raises ire in Roanoke Co.” Roanoke Times.
A. et al. Synapse Energy Economics LLC. “Atlantic Coast Pipeline October 15, 2014; Trice, Calvin. “Landowner sues Dominion over
Benefits Review.” June 12, 2015 at 10. surveys.” Staunton (VA) News Leader. October 24, 2014.
228 U.S. Department of Agriculture. Forest Service. “Special Use 248 Carlton, Brian. “Dominion files lawsuit landowners.” Richmond
Permit: Atlantic Coast Pipeline.” February 8, 2018; ACP. “Project Times-Dispatch. December 23, 2014.
Update.” April 2017 at 3; “ACP gets approval to be built beneath 249 Martz, Michael. “Dominion to withdraw lawsuits against
the Blue Ridge Parkway.” CBS-TV Channel 19. Richmond. Decem- landowners over pipeline surveys — and start over.” Richmond
ber 14, 2017; Mishkin, Kate. “Court pulls permit from Atlantic Times-Dispatch. April 7, 2015; Cavallaro (December 20, 2017).
Coast Pipeline.” Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail. May 16, 2018;
250 Olivo, Antonio. “Commission to reconsider protested power line
“Pipeline’s path stirs opposition in Va., W.Va.” Associated Press.
route.” Washington Post. July 16, 2017; Olivo, Antonio. “State
October 4, 2014; DiSavino, Scott. “Dominion does not expect
panel postpones power lines decision.” Washington Post.
court order to hold up Atlantic Coast pipe.” Reuters. August 6,
December 7, 2017.
2018; “Pipeline generates environmental concerns.” Pocahontas
Times (Marlinton, WV). September 11, 2014. 251 Olivo, Antonio. “Dominion agrees to bury power lines.” Washing-
ton Post. March 24, 2018; Olivo, Antonio. “Ex-slave’s progeny lie
229 Associated Press (October 4, 2014).
in digital age’s path.” Washington Post. July 3, 2017.
230 Horn, Brad. “Eruption.” Washington Post Magazine. June 12, 2016.
252 Blue, Robert M. “Corey Stewart’s power grab.” Washington Post.
231 Adams, Duncan. “Counties: Va. must monitor pipeline.” Roanoke July 30, 2017.
Times. October 15, 2015.
253 Olivo (March 24, 2018).
232 Pocahontas Times (September 11, 2014).
254 Behr, Peter. “Higher gas price sets stage for LNG.” Washington
233 Vozzella, Laura. “Study: Proposed pipeline would cut moun- Post. July 5, 2003; Sanserino, Michael. “Cove Point project inch-
taintop.” Washington Post. May 5, 2017; Tidwell, Mike. “Why is ing along.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. May 13, 2014.
Dominion suddenly toxic in Virginia politics.” Washington Post.
255 Dominion Energy Midstream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 9; Sanserino
May 21, 2017.
(May 13, 2014).
234 Adams, Duncan. “Landscape presents pipeline challenges.” Roa-
256 Behr (July 5, 2003).
noke Times. October 25, 2015; Dietrich, Tamara. “Group to fight
$5 billion pipeline.” Newport News Daily Press. September 9, 2014. 257 Ibid.
235 Hinkle, A. Barton “Hinkle: Should Dominion get to walk all over 258 McCaffrey, Raymond and Joshua Partlow. “Gas pipeline survey-
property rights?” Richmond Times-Dispatch. January 6, 2015. ing resisted.” Washington Post. June 3, 2004; Tunison, Michael.

“Opponents of Cove Point expansion find an ally.” Washington 280 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 14, 22 and 38 to 39. Domin-
Post. May 27, 2007; Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 8 to 9; ion sells power on the PJM Interconnection, California Inde-
Bredemeier, Kenneth. “FERC approves Dominion plan for pipe- pendent Service Operator, Midcontinent Independent Service
lines.” Washington Post. December 4, 2003. Operator and the Independent Service Operator New England.
259 Corkhill, Mike. “Cove Point loads its inaugural export cargo, on 281 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 to 39.
its 40th birthday.” LNG World Shipping. March 8, 2018; Phillips, 282 Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA Air Markets Program Data.
Susan. “Dominion’s Cove Point plant preparing to export LNG.”
283 Funk (2014).
NPR Pennsylvania StateImpact. December 27, 2017; Alfaro, Laura,
Richard H. K. Vietor and Hilary White. Harvard Business School. 284 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 to 39.
“The U.S. Shale Revolution: Global Rebalancing?” 9-714-008. 285 Ibid. Includes combined generation of Virginia Power and
March 13, 2014 at 1 and 2. Dominion Merchant Generation.
260 Sanserino (May 13, 2014); Sanserino, Michael. “Regulator gives 286 Ibid. at 14; “Virginia firm finds partner for turbines.” Associ-
final OK to Cove Point LNG project.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. ated Press. July 11, 2017; Office of Virginia Governor Ralph S.
October 1, 2014. Northam. [Press release]. “Governor Northam announces
261 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 19; Dominion Energy Mid- coastal Virginia offshore wind demonstration project.” August 3,
stream (SEC 10-K 2017) at 9; Sanserino (May 13, 2014). 2018; Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 11.
262 Sanserino (May 13, 2014); Maykuth (2014); In the Matter of the 287 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 to 39.
Application of Dominion Cove Point LNG, LP for a Certificate of 288 Ibid. 38 to 39. Includes combined generation of Virginia Power
Public Convenience and Necessity. Before the Public Service and Dominion Merchant Generation.
Commission of Maryland. Case No. 9318. ML-155481. May 30, 289 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 4; Martz (“Dominion
2014 at Appendix A-9. rules, part one: Corporate feud.” 2017).
263 Sanserino (May 13, 2014). 290 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 11.
264 Paley, Amit R. “Dominion considers its pipeline proposal better 291 Ibid. at 7; SCANA (SEC 10-K 2017) at 7 and 25 to 26.
than group’s.” Washington Post. March 17, 2005; Wan, William.
“Debate over Cove Point LNG plant heats up.” Washington Post. 292 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 and 39.
March 26, 2006; Sanserino (May 13, 2014). 293 Igo (2017); Dominion Energy. “Virginia City Hybrid Energy Cen-
265 Parfomak, Paul W. and Aaron M. Flynn. Congressional Research ter;” EIA. EIA-860 Electric Power Generation database. 2016.
Service. “Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Import Terminals: Siting, 294 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 to 39.
Safety, and Regulation.” CRS No. RL32205. January 28, 2004 at 295 Miller, Paul J. and Chris Van Atten. Prepared for the Secretariat
5; Kendrick, Lyle. “Some Calvert County residents question Cove of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation of North
Point LNG tanks.” Capital News Service. January 31, 2014. America. “North American power plant air emissions.” 2004 at 1;
266 Lynch, David J. “Natural gas treads a global path.” USA Today. Massetti, Emanuele et al. Prepared by Oak Ridge National Labo-
December 20, 2005. ratory for the U.S. Department of Energy. “Environmental qual-
267 Ibid. ity and the U.S. power sector: Air quality, water quality, land use
and environmental justice.” January 4, 2017 at vii, 5 to 7, 11 and
268 Pihl, Kristi. “Update: Evacuation radius near Plymouth plant to 12; Kampa, Marilena and Elias Castanas. “Human health effects
be reduced.” Tri-City (WA) Herald. March 31, 2014. of air pollution.” Environmental Pollution. Vol. 151, Iss. 2. January
269 Pihl (2014); Mandel, Jenny. “Explosive LNG issues grab PHMSA’s 2008 at 364; EPA. Office of Air Quality, Planning and Standards.
attention.” E&E News. June 7, 2016. “NOx: How nitrogen oxides affect the way we live and breathe.”
270 Tunison (2007). EPA-456/F-98-005. September 1998 at 2; EPA. “Overview of the
human health and environmental effects of power generation:
271 EPA. Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO) data-
Focus on sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) and mercury
base. Available at https://echo.epa.gov/. Accessed August 2018.
(Hg).” June 2002 at Slides 5 and 6.
272 Ibid.
296 Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA ECHO and EPA Clean Air
273 Zullo (2018); Parfomak and Flynn (2004) at 5; Kendrick (2014). Market databases.
274 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 25. 297 Dominion Energy. “Coal Ash Management Report 2014.” 2014 at
275 Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA Air Markets Program Data. 1 to 2.
Includes emissions from Dominion’s current fleet of power 298 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 30 and 38 to 39.
plants including coal, gas, oil and biomass adjusted to account
299 When Dominion had seven coal-fired plants in 2013, it produced
for Dominion’s 50 percent stake in the Clover coal plant. Two-
3.8 million tons of coal ash. Food & Water Watch estimated that
year averages used to account for year-to-year weather fluctua-
the six current plants produce about 3 million tons of coal ash
tions. Data available at https://ampd.epa.gov/ampd/. Accessed
based on a proportional reduction. Dominion Energy (2014) at 1
August 2018.
and 9.
276 Igo, Stephen. “Power plant in Wise County marks fifth year.”
300 Ramsey, John. “Coal ash verdict taken under advisement.” Rich-
Kingsport (VA) Times-News. July 12, 2017; Dominion Energy.
mond Times-Dispatch. June 25, 2016; Akinyemi, S. A. et al. “Miner-
“Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center.” Available at https://www.
alogy and mobility pattern of trace metals in brine irrigated dry
dominionenergy.com/about-us/making-energy/coal-and-oil/
disposed weathered coal fly ash.” Energy Sources. Vol. 37, No. 8.
virginia-city-hybrid-energy-center#. Accessed August 2018; EIA.
2015 at 894, 901 and 904; Akinyemi, S. A. et al. “Natural weather-
EIA-860 Electric Power Generation database. 2016.
ing in dry disposed ash dump: Insight from chemical, mineralogi-
277 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 25. cal and geochemical analysis of fresh and unsaturated drilled
278 Ibid. at 15 and 38 to 39. Includes combined generation of Vir- cores.” Journal of Environmental Management. Vol. 102. 2012 at 96.
ginia Power and Dominion Merchant Generation. 301 Zullo, Robert. “Under measure, Dominion again delays closing of
279 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 9; Dominion Energy coal ash ponds.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. February 8, 2018.
(July 13, 2018); South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. (SCANA). SEC 302 Harkness, Jennifer S. et al. “Evidence for coal ash ponds leaking
10-K filing. February 23, 2018 at 5, 7 and 26. in the Southeastern United States.” Environmental Science &
Technology. Vol. 50. 2016 at 6583.

303 EPA. “Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utili- year averages used to account for year-to-year weather fluctua-
ties Proposed Rule.” RIN-2050-AE81. 75 Fed. Reg. 118. June 21, tions. Data available at https://ampd.epa.gov/ampd/. Accessed
2010 at 35144 to 35145. August 2018.
304 Ibid. at 35147. 328 Lavoie et al. (2017) at 3373
305 Katz, Jonathan M. “Duke Energy is charged in huge coal ash 329 Howarth (2014) at 1; Howarth et al. (2011) at 679, 687 and 688.
leak.” New York Times. February 20, 2015; Bienkowski, Brian. 330 International Energy Agency. “Energy and air pollution: World
“Toxic coal ash hits poor and minority communities hardest.” energy outlook special report.” 2016 at 43 and 227; California
Environmental Health News. January 14, 2016. Environmental Protection Agency. Air Resources Board. Station-
306 Zullo, Robert. “Dominion rules, part three: A changing landscape ary Sources Division. “Report to the legislature: Gas-fired power
for a power player.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 13, 2017. plant NOx emission controls and related environmental im-
307 Ramsey, John. “Dominion’s coal ash conundrum.” Richmond pacts.” May 2004 at 6; Massetti et al. (2017) at 7, 11 and 12; EPA.
Times-Dispatch. March 27, 2016. Clean Air Markets Division, Office of Air and Radiation. “Acid rain
program. 2005 progress report.” EPA-430-R-06-015. October
308 Ramsey (June 25, 2016); Sheler, Jeff. “City acts to manage site’s
2006 at 2; EPA (2002) at Slides 5 and 6.
fly ash.” Norfolk Virginian-Pilot. July 14, 2014.
331 Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA ECHO database; data only
309 Szkotak, Steve. “Critics: Dominion jumping gun on coal ash
collected every three years.
cleanup.” Fredericksburg (VA) Free Lance Star. June 28, 2015; Zullo,
Robert and John Ramsey. “Ash pond closures prompt concerns.” 332 Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA ECHO and Clean Air Market
Richmond Times-Dispatch. May 16, 2016; Zullo, Robert. “More databases.
well tests at Possum Point yield little clarity in controversy over 333 Colborn, Theo et al. “Natural gas operations from a public health
coal ash.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. August 27, 2016. perspective.” International Journal of Human and Ecological Risk
310 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 30. Assessment. September 2011 at 1042; Wong, Chit Ming et al.
“Cancer mortality risks from long-term exposure to ambient
311 Katz (2015); EPA. Region 4 and Region 3. In the matter of Eden
fine particle.” Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. May
Ash Spill. Administrative Settlement Agreement and Order on
2016 at 839.
Consent for Removal Action Against Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC.
CERCLA Docket No. 04-2014-3762. 2014 at 1 and 4. 334 Salam, Muhammad T. et al. “Birth outcomes and prenatal
exposure to ozone, carbon monoxide, and particulate matter:
312 Gabriel, Trip. “Ash spill shows how watchdog was defanged.”
Results from the Children’s Health Study.” Environmental Health
New York Times. February 28, 2014; Shoichet, Catherine E. “Spill
Perspectives. Vol. 113, No. 11. November 2005 at 1638 and 1643;
spews tons of coal ash into North Carolina’s Dan River.” CNN.
Bravender, Robin. “Study links smog exposure to premature
February 9, 2014.
death.” New York Times. March 12, 2009.
313 Shoichet (2014).
335 Massetti et al. (2017) at 85; Wilson, Adrian et al. National As-
314 EPA. In the matter of Eden Ash Spill (2014) at 5. sociation for the Advancement of Colored People, Indigenous
315 Sabri, Roya. “Virginia coal ash case could have national implica- Environmental Network, Little Village Environmental Justice
tions.” Christian Science Monitor. July 12, 2016. Organization. “Coal blooded. Putting profits before people.”
316 Zullo, Robert. “Study finds leaching from coal ash sites.” Rich- November 2012 at 15; Physicians, Scientists, and Engineers for
mond Times-Dispatch. June 11, 2016; Harkness (2016) at 6583. Healthy Energy (PSEHE). [Research brief]. “Natural gas power
plants in California’s disadvantaged communities.” April 2017 at
317 Pipkin, Whitney. “Dominion’s review of coal ash ‘alternatives’ still 2; Food & Water Watch. “The Pernicious Placement of Pennsyl-
favors on-site storage.” Bay Journal. December 6, 2017; AECOM. vania Power Plants.” June 2018.
Prepared for Dominion Energy. “Senate Bill 1398 Response: Coal
Combustion Residuals Ash Pond Closure Assessment.” Novem- 336 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 11.
ber 2017 at ES-1. 337 Geiger (March 26, 2015); Zullo (December 1, 2016).
318 AECOM (2017) at ES-2. 338 Food & Water Watch analysis of Census Bureau 2016 American
319 Gardner, Kevin H. and Scott Greenwood. University of New Community Survey Data.
Hampshire. “Response to Dominion Energy Report Entitled: Sen- 339 EPA. “2016 TRI Factsheet: State — Virginia.” March 2018.
ate Bill 1398 Response, Coal Combustion Residuals, Ash Pond 340 Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. “2016 Virginia
Closure Assessment.” January 17, 2018 at 6 and 7. Toxics Release Inventory Report.” March 2018 at 28.
320 Palermo, Jill. “In special session, Virginia lawmakers put the 341 Fox, Jeremy C. “Va. firm to pay millions in pollution settlement.”
brakes on Dominion’s coal-ash plans.” Fauquier (VA) Times. April Boston Globe. April 2, 2013.
6, 2017.
342 Eilperin, Juliet. “Justice gets 14 air pollution cases.” Washington
321 Zullo (“Dominion rules: Power at crossroads.” 2017). Post. July 15, 2004; Behr, Peter. “Utility to spend $1.2 billion to
322 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 to 39. Includes combined cut pollution.” Washington Post. April 19, 2003; Behr, Peter. “Coal
generation of Virginia Power and Dominion Merchant Genera- is vital, utilities say.” Washington Post. May 3, 2001.
tion. 343 Fitzgerald, Jay. “Deal will cut air pollution from Salem power
323 SCANA (SEC 10K 2017) at 25. plant.” Boston Herald. May 27, 2005.
324 Dominion Energy (September 7, 2017) at 15. 344 Abel, David. “Conservation group sues over emissions at Salem
325 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 2. plant.” Boston Globe. June 25, 2010; Rice, Justin A. “Pact ends coal
at Salem plant in 2014.” Boston Globe. February 8, 2012.
326 Howarth et al. (2011) at 679, 687 and 688; Howarth (2014) at 1
and 2; Jackson et al. (2014) at 2051; Lavoie, Tegan N. et al. “As- 345 Lydersen, Kari. “Power station’s closing could create problems.”
sessing the methane emissions from natural gas-fired power New York Times. February 12, 2012; Hawthorne, Michael. “Dirty
plants and oil refineries.” Environmental Science & Technology. Indiana plant to shut down.” Chicago Tribune. May 6, 2011.
Vol. 51. February 21, 2017 at 3373. 346 Sullivan, Patricia. “Dominion oil-spill fine, if any, to be negoti-
327 Food & Water Watch analysis of EPA Air Markets Program Data. ated.” Washington Post. February 20, 2016.
Includes emissions from Dominion’s current fleet of power 347 Togneri, Chris. “Spokesman: No one injured after explosion, fire
plants including coal, gas, oil and biomass adjusted to account at Natrium plant in West Virginia.” Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.
for Dominion’s 50 percent stake in the Clover coal plant. Two- September 21, 2013.

348 “No one hurt in fire at power station.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. 362 Content, Thomas. “Nuclear waste now stored outside reactor.”
January 16, 2006. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. August 30, 2009.
349 Dominion Energy (2017 Annual Report) at 7. 363 Content, Thomas. “Plant fined for lack of fire drills.” Milwaukee
350 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 15. Journal Sentinel. May 2, 2013; Content, Thomas. “NRC fines Ke-
waunee; says nuclear plant failed to hold fire drills.” Milwaukee
351 Ibid. at 13 and 25.
Journal Sentinel. May 1, 2013.
352 Patel, Sonal. “Dominion to seek 80-year lifetime for North Anna
364 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 15.
nuclear reactors.” POWER. November 16, 2017.
365 Cappiello, Dina and Jeff Donn. “Quake illustrates elevated risk to
353 “Nuclear power plant accidents: listed and ranked since 1952.”
nuke plants.” Newark Star-Ledger. September 2, 2011.
The Guardian (U.K.). March 14, 2011. Interactive data available
at https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2011/mar/14/ 366 Henry, Ray. “4 generator failures hit US nuclear plants.” San
nuclear-power-plant-accidents-list-rank. Diego Union-Tribune. October 9, 2011.
354 Smith, Rebecca. “Atomic waste gets a ‘temporary’ home.” Wall 367 Cappiello and Donn (2011).
Street Journal. June 1, 2010; Zhang, Sarah. “America’s nuclear- 368 Zullo, Robert. “North Anna nuclear reactor in Louisa County
waste plan is a giant mess.” The Atlantic. November 2, 2016; shuts down after water leak.” Richmond Times-Dispatch. Decem-
Malewitz, Jim and Kiah Collier. “West Texas nuclear waste ber 11, 2017.
project on hold — for now.” Texas Tribune. April 19, 2017; U.S. 369 Dennen, Rusty. “Generator problems slow restart of North Anna
Government Accountability Office (GAO). “Disposal of High-Level reactor: Problem with new generator, and boron system being
Nuclear Waste.” Available at https://www.gao.gov/key_issues/ addressed at North Anna plant.” Fredericksburg (VA) Free Lance-
disposal_of_highlevel_nuclear_waste/issue_summary. Accessed Star. October 22, 2008.
March 8, 2018.
370 Dennen, Rusty. “Reactor restart delayed again: Transformer
355 Geranios, Nicholas. “US nuclear site’s collapsed tunnel may have failure slows North Anna reactor restart.” Fredericksburg (VA)
gone unnoticed.” Associated Press. May 11, 2017. Free Lance-Star. October 31, 2008.
356 Content, Thomas. “Utility runs into opposition.” Milwaukee Jour- 371 Macenka, Joe. “North Anna reactor shut down because of leaks.”
nal Sentinel. December 12, 2005. Richmond Times-Dispatch. October 27, 2009.
357 Content, Thomas. “Dominion buys Kewaunee reactor.” Milwau- 372 Martz, Michael. “North Anna leak raises issue.” Richmond Times-
kee Journal Sentinel. July 6, 2005. Dispatch. February 27, 1989.
358 Content, Thomas. “Tritium in water under nuclear plant.” Mil- 373 Dominion Energy (SEC 10-K 2017) at 38 to 39.
waukee Journal Sentinel. August 16, 2006.
374 WINDExchange. “Wind Energy in Virginia.” Accessed January 30,
359 Ibid. 2018; U.S. Department of Energy. “SunShot Vision Study.” Ap-
360 Content, Thomas. “Nuclear alert draws inspection.” Milwaukee pendices. February 2012 at Table B-5.
Journal Sentinel. April 28, 2006.
361 Barrett, Rick. “Nuclear plant faces scrutiny.” Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel. April 11, 2007; Content, Thomas. “State plants no longer
on shaky ground.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. April 14, 2011.

More Food & Water Watch Research on Energy and the Environment
Another Petrochemical Sacrifice Zone:

Proposed Appalachian Gas “Cluster” Would Pollute Region and Entrench
Fossil Fuel and Plastics Infrastructure for Decades
The proposed Appalachian storage complex may be a profit bonanza for industry, but it is a
pollution pitfall for communities and ecosystems in the area. Converting the region into the
second largest concentration of plastics and chemical manufacturing outside the highly polluted
Gulf Coast will compound the Tri-State area’s already substantial exposure to industrial toxic
emissions, while increasing plastic materials that largely end up polluting the earth’s oceans.
Pernicious Placement of Pennsylvania Power Plants:

Natural Gas-Fired Power Plant Boom Reinforces Environmental Injustice
Power plants have long been disproportionately located near disadvantaged communities. Now,
energy companies in Pennsylvania have begun building natural gas-fired power plants that will
reinforce the historic environmental injustice of the state’s existing fossil fuel-fired power plants.
The surge in power plant construction locks in reliance on dirty fossil fuels, encourages more
destructive fracking and contributes to increased climate pollution.
Paying to Pollute: The Environmental Injustice of Pollution Trading

Free market environmental policies are fundamentally changing America’s approach to pollution
control. Market-based pollution credit schemes are undermining successful environmental
laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act by allowing industries to pay for the right to
dump contaminants into our waterways and air. The health and environment of communities
surrounding these pollution sources pay the price for these free market environmental policies.
All too often, these are lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color.
The Urgent Case for a Ban on Fracking

Fracking, or “hydraulic fracturing,” is a dangerous process that brings a host of problems. This
comprehensive report details the facts on fracking and the many reasons why it should be
banned.
For more Food & Water Watch research, visit

foodandwaterwatch.org/library
Food & Water Watch

National Office
1616 P Street, NW
Suite 300
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 683-2500
foodandwaterwatch.org

RPT 1810 DominionEnergyProfile-FNEMB

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

RPT 1810 DominionEnergyProfile-FNEMB

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

RPT 1810 DominionEnergyProfile-FNEMB

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

HOLD FOR RELEASE

Thursday, November 15 • 3pm ET

About Food & Water Watch

Colorado Florida Maryland New Jersey

New Mexico New York Illinois Pennsylvania

Dominion Energy's Power Grab

2 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

CLOVER POWER STATION, CLOVER, VA • PHOTO CC-BY-SA © DAVID HOFFMAN / FLICKR.COM

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 3

Dominion lavishes elected officials with campaign cash

lock Virginia into a fossil fuel future for decades to

4 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

MAP 1 • Dominion Energy National Footprint MW = Megawatt

ID: gas utility NY: Gas pipelines;

TN: 2 solar facilities NC, SC: Atlantic Coast Pipeline;

SOURCE: Dominion Energy Annual Report.

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 5

Increasing temperatures contribute more frequent and

6 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Despite the ongoing climate crisis, Dominion is

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 7

TABLE 1 • Top 5 Virginia Recipients of Dominion Campaign Cash, 1998-2018

R. Creigh Deeds (D) Senate District 25 (Charlottesville) $104,450 $5,850 $110,300

8 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 9

10 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Regulated utility companies once made money by

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 11

12 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 13

MAP 2 • Dominion Energy's Gas Infrastructure Footprint • virginia region

Underground Storage Sites, sized by capacity

Proposed Atlantic Coast Pipeline

Fossil Fuel and

14 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Dominion’s gas infrastructure footprint

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 15

16 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 17

TABLE 2 • Dominion Energy's Power Plant Portfolio

Virginia Power Total Dominion

Natural Gas 15 7,589 38.1% 17 9,297 37.1%

18 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Virginia Power Other Dominion

2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 2015-2016 2016-2017

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 19

20 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

But emissions just from Dominion’s natural gas plants

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 21

Dominion bought the now-shuttered Wisconsin

22 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 23

24 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Terry G. Kilgore 1 R $196,641 100% Y N Y Y Y

Continued on next page }

Dominion Energy's Power Grab 25

Dominion Weakened Rate Original

Thomas C. Wright, Jr. 61 R $3,250 25% N Y Y N

26 Food & Water Watch • foodandwaterwatch.org

Dominion Weakened Rate Original