On April 2, 2020, Dominion Energy asked Virginia regulators for permission to avoid certain requirements, including comprehensive analysis of new natural gas or nuclear power buildouts, for its 2020 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) filing that it says will no longer apply. [1] Specifically, Dominion wants to stop incorporating some modeling and analysis that were required under the Clean Power Plan of 2014, which has since been replaced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the Affordable Clean Energy rule of 2019. According to the utility, a natural gas buildout would not be viable due to the 100% clean energy mandate by 2045 instituted by the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) passed on March 6, 2020.

The request marks a big shift for Dominion which has included scenarios with up to 10 new combined-cycle or combustion turbine facilities in its previous IRPs. Environmental groups believe that the lack of need for new gas infrastructure could also extend to the development of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline which is slated to run 600 miles from West Virginia, through Virginia, to eastern North Carolina.[2] However, Dominion has stated that it has no plans to make changes to the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project. Dominion will own 53% of the gas project, alongside Duke Energy, after buying Southern Company's 5% stake.

[1] http://www.scc.virginia.gov/docketsearch/DOCS/4m0c01!.PDF

[2] https://chesapeakeclimate.org/dominion-energy-abandons-gas-infrastructure-plans-due-to-passage-of-virginia-clean-economy-act/