History of Dominion Energy in Timeline

Dominion Energy, headquartered in Richmond, Virginia, is a major American energy company. It provides electricity to regions of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Dominion Energy also delivers natural gas to areas within Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Furthermore, it operates power generation facilities in states including Indiana, Illinois, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

1901: Water rights passed to Virginia Passenger & Power Company

In 1901, the water rights of the Upper Appomattox Company were transferred to the newly established Virginia Passenger & Power Company.

June 29, 1909: Virginia Railway & Power Company Founded

On June 29, 1909, Frank Jay Gould founded the Virginia Railway & Power Company, a direct corporate ancestor of Dominion Energy.

1925: Name Change to Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO)

In 1925, the Virginia Railway & Power Company was renamed the Virginia Electric and Power Company (VEPCO), becoming a regulated monopoly.

1940: VEPCO doubled its service territory

In 1940, VEPCO doubled its service territory through a merger with the Virginia Public Service Company.

1944: Transit operations sold

In 1944, VEPCO divested its transit operations.

1980: VEPCO began branding itself as Virginia Power

In 1980, VEPCO began branding itself as "Virginia Power" in Virginia and "North Carolina Power" in North Carolina.

1985: Dominion split its distribution operations among two operating companies

By 1985, Dominion split its distribution operations among two operating companies: Virginia Power (operating in Virginia and the Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia) and North Carolina Power (operating in North Carolina).

1986: Dominion gained territory by expanding in Northern Virginia

In 1986, Dominion expanded its territory in Northern Virginia by purchasing the Virginia distribution territory of Potomac Electric Power Company (PEPCO).

1987: Dominion sold the West Virginia assets of Dominion to Utilicorp United

In 1987, Dominion sold its West Virginia assets to Utilicorp United, which was branded as West Virginia Power, though Dominion retained ownership of the Mount Storm Power Station in West Virginia.

2000: Dominion bought Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG)

In 2000, Dominion expanded its natural gas service by acquiring Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG) of Pittsburgh.

2000: Re-branding to Dominion

In 2000, Dominion re-branded all of its operations from Virginia and North Carolina Power as well as Consolidated Gas to Dominion in order to create a more unified energy company.

2001: Dominion bought Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Company

In 2001, Dominion further expanded its natural gas delivery network with the acquisition of Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Company.

2001: Concerns over Dominion Cove Point LNG reopening

In 2001, local residents expressed concerns regarding the reopening of Dominion's Dominion Cove Point LNG subsidiary due to its proximity to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant and the potential risks of an attack or explosion. Residents felt that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission did not adequately consider these risks before allowing the plant to reopen.

2002: Dominion's toxic emissions in 2002

In 2002, Dominion was responsible for a variety of toxic emissions, including 1,110,703 pounds of gastrointestinal or liver toxicant emissions, 1,440,000 pounds of musculoskeletal toxicant emissions, and other suspected hazardous emissions.

2003: Dispute between EPA and Dominion Energy begins

In 2003, a dispute began between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dominion Energy of Brayton Point, which was later resolved by a settlement in December 2007.

2005: Dominion Resources' Toxic Score in 2005

In 2005, Dominion Resources was ranked 19th with a Toxic Score of 117,712 among corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States, according to the Political Economy Research Institute.

2005: Washington Gas claims about Dominion's natural gas

In 2005, Washington Gas claimed that the natural gas imported at Dominion's plant was too "hot," causing problems for its customers and breaks in its mains. Dominion denied the gas was the cause and said expanding the service area wouldn't cause additional leaks.

February 13, 2007: Report on power line route change

On February 13, 2007, The Washington Post reported that Dominion planned to alter the route of a 500 kV transmission line to appease Northern Virginia critics, shifting it from protected forest and farmland to run adjacent to existing power lines. However, officials remained opposed.

December 2007: Settlement between EPA and Dominion Energy

In December 2007, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dominion Energy of Brayton Point reached a settlement requiring the company's power generating plant to install new closed cycle cooling towers to protect aquatic organisms in Mount Hope Bay. This settlement resolved a dispute that began in 2003.

2007: Focus shift to electric generation and energy distribution

By 2007, Dominion sold the majority of its oil and natural gas exploration and production assets to put additional focus on growing its electric generation and energy distribution, transmission, storage and retail businesses.

2007: Sale of Houston-based natural gas and oil exploration and production business

In 2007, Dominion sold the majority of its Houston-based natural gas and oil exploration and production business for nearly $14 billion to refocus on core electric and gas operations.

February 15, 2008: SCC approved controversial proposal for Dominion Virginia transmission line

On February 15, 2008, the SCC approved a controversial proposal for a 230 kV Dominion Virginia transmission line.

March 5, 2008: Emergency legislation passed

On March 5, 2008, the Senate and the House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed emergency legislation that ordered the SCC to approve the underground construction of the line along that section of the trail.

April 2, 2008: Legislation approved

On April 2, 2008, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine approved legislation that exempted the project from any requirements for further SCC analyses relating to the impacts of the route.

June 2008: Construction of Wise County power station began

In June 2008, Dominion began constructing a 605 MWe coal-fired power station in Wise County, Virginia.

September 2008: Site blockaded by activists

In September 2008, the construction site of Dominion's Wise County power plant was blockaded by activists from the Rainforest Action Network.

October 7, 2008: Power line proposal accepted

On October 7, 2008, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) accepted Dominion's proposal for a transmission line.

2008: Dominion Resources' Toxic Score in 2008

In 2008, Dominion Resources was ranked 27th with a Toxic Score of 58,642 among corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States, according to the Political Economy Research Institute.

2008: Donations by Dominion PAC

In 2008, the Dominion PAC donated $539,038 with 50% going to Republicans and 47% to Democrats.

December 2009: Wise County power station construction at halfway point

As of December 2009, the construction of the power plant in Wise County had reached the halfway point, with full operation anticipated in mid-2012.

2009: Donations by Dominion PAC

In 2009, the Dominion Political Action Committee (PAC) donated a total of $814,885 with 56% going to Republicans and 41% to Democrats.

2010: Publication of Dominion’s First Century: A Legacy of Service

In 2010, a book titled Dominion’s First Century: A Legacy of Service, chronicling the company's 100-year history, was published.

2010: Political Economy Research Institute ranks Dominion Resources

In 2010, the Political Economy Research Institute ranked Dominion Resources 51st among corporations emitting airborne pollutants in the United States. Dominion's Toxic Score of 16,656 represented an improvement from both the 2008 and 2005 reports.

February 2016: Announcement of acquisition of Questar Corporation

In February 2016, Dominion Resources announced its plan to acquire Questar Corporation.

September 2016: Acquisition of Questar Corporation

In September 2016, Dominion Energy acquired Questar Corporation, expanding its operations into the Western United States, including parts of Utah and Wyoming.

2016: Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program Honorees

In 2016, twelve employees from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia were selected for Dominion's Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program.

2016: Donations by Dominion PAC

In the 2016 election cycle, the PAC contributed $1,276,016.17 to various political candidates and committees.

2017: Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program

2017 marked the thirty-third year of the Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program at Dominion, recognizing top company volunteers.

2017: Rebranding to Dominion Energy

In 2017, Dominion Resources rebranded itself as Dominion Energy and introduced a new logo.

January 2018: Dominion Energy to buy SCANA Corporation

In January 2018, it was reported that Dominion Energy would acquire SCANA Corporation for $7.9 billion.

May 2018: Ground broken on Atlantic Coast Pipeline

In May 2018, ground was broken on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Lewis County, West Virginia, a natural gas pipeline project Dominion was undertaking with Duke Energy.

2018: Grid transformation program launched

In the summer of 2018, Dominion Energy initiated a "grid transformation program" with the goal of developing 3,000 megawatts of new solar and wind energy by 2022.

July 2020: Plans announced to sell assets to Berkshire Hathaway

In July 2020, Dominion Energy revealed its plan to sell natural gas transmission and storage assets to Berkshire Hathaway, with the deal valued at approximately $10 billion.

July 2020: Atlantic Coast Pipeline cancelled

In July 2020, Dominion and Duke Energy made the decision to cancel the Atlantic Coast Pipeline due to rising costs associated with legal challenges.

December 2020: Keel laid for offshore WTIV Charybdis

In December 2020, the keel was laid for Dominion's Jones Act-compliant offshore WTIV Charybdis, under construction at Keppel AmFELS shipyards in Brownsville, Texas.

2020: Response to coronavirus pandemic

In 2020, Dominion responded to the coronavirus pandemic by suspending service disconnections for non-payment, helping disconnected customers reconnect, waiving late and reconnection fees, and directing its charitable foundation to provide $1 million in aid.

2021: Critical Infrastructure Protection Act passed in West Virginia

In 2021, lobbyists for Dominion worked to pass West Virginia's Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, a law creating felony penalties for trespassing offenses targeting oil and gas facilities.

February 2022: Dominion Energy sold one of its subsidiary

In February 2022, Dominion Energy sold Dominion Energy West Virginia, one of its subsidiaries, to Hearthstone Utilities Inc. for $690 million. Hearthstone will continue operations in West Virginia under the name: "Hope Gas".

September 2023: Enbridge agreed to acquire East Ohio Gas, Questar Gas, and Public Service Co. of North Carolina

In September 2023, Enbridge agreed to acquire East Ohio Gas, Questar Gas, and Public Service Co. of North Carolina, from Dominion for a total enterprise value worth $14 billion.

August 12, 2025: Lightning Strike on Dominion Energy Infrastructure

On August 12, 2025, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, police released dashcam footage showing a lightning strike on Dominion Energy infrastructure, causing a large explosion.