History of Dominion Energy in Timeline

Dominion Energy is an American energy company based in Richmond, Virginia. It provides electricity to areas of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The company also supplies natural gas to regions of Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. In addition, Dominion operates power generation facilities located in Indiana, Illinois, Connecticut and Rhode Island.

1901: Water Rights Transferred

In 1901, the water rights of the Upper Appomattox Company, which was formed in 1795 to build dams, passed to the newly formed Virginia Passenger & Power Company.

June 29, 1909: Virginia Railway & Power Company Founded

On June 29, 1909, Frank Jay Gould founded Virginia Railway & Power Company, Dominion's closest direct corporate ancestor.

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

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

1940: VEPCO Doubles Service Territory

In 1940, VEPCO doubled its service territory by merging with the Virginia Public Service Company.

1944: Transit Operations Sold

In 1944, VEPCO sold its transit operations.

1980: VEPCO Rebrands as Virginia Power and North Carolina Power

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

1985: Distribution Operations Split

In 1985, Dominion split its distribution operations between Virginia Power, operating in Virginia and West Virginia's Greenbrier Valley, and North Carolina Power, operating in North Carolina.

1986: Territory Expansion in Northern Virginia

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

1987: Sale of West Virginia Assets

In 1987, Dominion sold its West Virginia assets to Utilicorp United, which became West Virginia Power, but retained ownership of the Mount Storm Power Station in West Virginia.

1999: West Virginia Power Sold to Allegheny Energy

In 1999, West Virginia Power was sold to Allegheny Energy and folded into its Monongahela Power subsidiary.

2000: Acquisition of Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG)

In 2000, Dominion bought Consolidated Natural Gas Company (CNG) of Pittsburgh, adding natural gas service to its energy delivery network in the Northeastern U.S.

2000: Re-branding to Dominion

In 2000, Dominion re-branded all of its operations, including Virginia and North Carolina Power and Consolidated Gas, under the Dominion name.

2001: Acquisition of Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Company

In 2001, Dominion bought Louis Dreyfus Natural Gas Company, further expanding its natural gas delivery network.

2001: Concerns over Dominion Cove Point LNG reopening

In 2001, local residents expressed concerns about the planned reopening of Dominion's Dominion Cove Point LNG subsidiary due to its proximity to the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. They feared the potential damage from an attack or explosion and believed that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hadn't adequately considered the risks before reopening the plant in 2001.

2002: Dominion responsible for toxicant emissions

In 2002, Dominion was responsible for the release of several types of toxicant emissions, including gastrointestinal or liver toxicants (1,110,703 pounds), musculoskeletal toxicants (1,440,000 pounds), suspected respiratory toxicants (1,489,763 pounds), and suspected skin or sense organ toxicants (1,478,383 pounds).

2003: Dispute begins between EPA and Dominion Energy of Brayton Point

In 2003, a dispute began between the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Dominion Energy of Brayton Point. The dispute would be resolved in 2007.

2005: Dominion Resources toxic score reported

In 2005, Dominion Resources' Toxic Score was reported by the Political Economy Research Institute as 117,712.

2005: Washington Gas claims natural gas is too "hot"

In 2005, Washington Gas claimed that the natural gas imported at Dominion's plant was too "hot," meaning it contained fewer heavy hydrocarbons and burned at a higher temperature. Washington Gas stated that this hot gas caused problems for its customers and led to breaks in its mains. Dominion denied that the imported gas was the cause of the breaks and asserted that expanding the area serviced by the imported gas would not lead to additional leaks in the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia suburbs in 2005.

February 13, 2007: Reported Route Change of Transmission Line

On February 13, 2007, The Washington Post reported that Dominion was planning to change the route of a 500 kV transmission line to appease critics in Northern Virginia.

December 2007: Settlement between EPA and Dominion Energy of Brayton Point

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

2007: Divestment of Oil and Gas Exploration Assets

By 2007, Dominion Exploration and Production was one of the largest independent natural gas and oil operators. During 2007, Dominion sold the majority of its oil and natural gas exploration and production assets to focus on electric generation and energy distribution.

2007: Sale of Natural Gas and Oil Exploration Business

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

February 15, 2008: SCC Approves Controversial Transmission Line Proposal

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

March 5, 2008: Virginia General Assembly Passes Emergency Legislation

On March 4 and March 5, 2008, the Virginia General Assembly unanimously passed emergency legislation that ordered the SCC to approve the underground construction of the line.

April 2, 2008: Virginia Governor Approves Legislation

On April 2, 2008, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine approved the emergency legislation regarding the underground construction of the transmission line.

June 2008: Construction Begins on Coal Fired Power Station

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

September 2008: Site Blockaded by Rainforest Action Network

In September 2008, the site of the Wise County power station was blockaded by activists from the Rainforest Action Network.

October 7, 2008: Acceptance of Proposal by the State Corporation Commission (SCC)

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

2008: Dominion Resources toxic score reported

In 2008, Dominion Resources' Toxic Score was reported by the Political Economy Research Institute as 58,642.

2008: Dominion PAC Donations in 2008

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

December 2009: Construction Reaches Halfway Point

As of December 2009, construction of the Wise County power station had reached the halfway point.

2009: Dominion PAC Donations in 2009

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

2010: FirstEnergy Acquisition of Allegheny Energy Subsidiaries

In 2010, FirstEnergy acquired Allegheny Energy subsidiaries.

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 a significant improvement from previous reports.

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

In 2010, the book "Dominion’s First Century: A Legacy of Service", a history of Dominion Energy, was published.

2012: Planned Operational Date

The Wise County power station was scheduled to be fully operational in mid-2012.

February 2016: Announcement of Questar Corporation Acquisition

In February 2016, Dominion Resources announced it would 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, specifically Utah and Wyoming.

September 2016: Completion of Questar Corporation Acquisition

In September 2016, Dominion Resources completed its acquisition of Questar Corporation.

2016: Selection of Volunteers for the Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program

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: Dominion PAC Donations in 2016 Election Cycle

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

2017: 33rd Year of the Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program

2017 marked the thirty-third year of Dominion's Benjamin J. Lambert, III, Volunteer of the Year Program, which recognizes top company volunteers and donates $1000 to their chosen charity.

2017: Rebranding to Dominion Energy

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

2017: Fortune 500 Listing

In 2017, Dominion was listed as #238 on the Fortune 500.

January 2018: Reported Acquisition of SCANA Corporation

In January 2018, Reuters reported that Dominion Energy would buy SCANA Corporation for $7.9 billion.

May 2018: Groundbreaking of Atlantic Coast Pipeline

In May 2018, ground was broken on the 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline in Lewis County, West Virginia, a natural gas pipeline project between West Virginia and North Carolina.

2018: Launch of Grid Transformation Program

In the summer of 2018, Dominion Energy launched a "grid transformation program" to build 3,000 megawatts of new solar and wind energy.

January 2019: Completion of SCANA Corporation Acquisition

In January 2019, Dominion Energy completed its acquisition of SCANA Corporation.

July 2020: Cancellation of Atlantic Coast Pipeline

In July 2020, Dominion and Duke Energy canceled the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, citing cost increases due to lawsuits.

July 2020: Agreement to Sell Natural Gas Assets to Berkshire Hathaway

In July 2020, Dominion announced plans to sell natural gas transmission and storage assets to Berkshire Hathaway in a deal estimated at $10 billion.

December 2020: Keel Laying for Offshore WTIV Charybdis

In December 2020, the keel was laid for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project's Jones Act-compliant offshore WTIV, the Charybdis, at Keppel AmFELS shipyards in Brownsville, Texas.

2020: Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

In 2020, Dominion responded to the coronavirus pandemic by stopping service disconnects for non-payment, helping customers reconnect to its service, waiving late and reconnection fees, and providing $1 million in aid to organizations fighting COVID-19 through its charitable foundation.

2021: Lobbying for West Virginia's Critical Infrastructure Protection Act

In 2021, lobbyists for Dominion worked to pass West Virginia's Critical Infrastructure Protection Act, which created felony penalties for protests targeting oil and gas facilities.

February 2022: Sale of Dominion Energy West Virginia to Hearthstone Utilities Inc.

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

2022: Grid Transformation Program Target

By 2022, the grid transformation program's aim was to build 3,000 megawatts worth of new solar and wind energy.

2022: Electric Production Percentages

In 2022, Dominion's electric production sources included 18% coal, 23% nuclear power, 48% natural gas, and 11% hydro and other renewables. Dominion Energy also announced the development of a strategy for renewable energy sources, primarily wind and biomass, and conservation and efficiency programs.

September 2023: Agreement to Sell Gas Assets to Enbridge

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

2026: Target Completion of CVOW project

Dominion is constructing a massive offshore wind farm off of the coast of Virginia, with plans to have all turbines in place for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project by 2026.