Dominion Energy Virginia and data centers

Large-load tariff and rules

Status

Large-load tariff or rules approved (2025-11-25)

Tariff

Rate Schedule GS-5 (customers with 25 MW or more contracted demand and 75% load factor)

Docket

Case No. PUR-2025-00058, Virginia State Corporation Commission

What it says

The SCC's final order in Dominion's 2025 biennial review created GS-5 for customers with at least 25 MW on a contiguous site and a load factor of at least 75%, with a 14-year contract term and minimum demand charges of 85% (distribution), 85% (transmission) and 60% (generation) of contracted demand. (Virginia State Corporation Commission (copy hosted by NPR))

Source excerpt

“The Company shall implement a new rate schedule, Rate Schedule GS-5, as set forth below, effective January 1, 2027.”

Official forecasts of data center load

• JLARC's commissioned forecast found unconstrained electricity demand in Virginia could double within 10 years, driven mainly by data centers, largely matching PJM's forecast. (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), 2024-12-09)
  Source excerpt

  “an independent forecast commissioned by JLARC shows that unconstrained demand for power in Virginia would double within the next 10 years, with the data center industry being the main driver.”

• Cardinal News reports Dominion told the SCC its queue of large-customer connection requests totals 70,000 MW (requests, not a load forecast), of which 25,000 MW are set to connect by the end of 2031. (Cardinal News, 2026-07-31)
  Source excerpt

  “Of that 70,000 megawatts, customers totaling 25,000 megawatts are set to connect to the grid by the end of December 2031.”

What sources say about customer bills

Sources warning that other customers’ costs could rise

• Virginia JLARC: JLARC estimated that data center demand could raise a typical Dominion residential customer's generation and transmission costs by $14 to $37 a month by 2040 in constant dollars. (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), 2024-12-09)
  Source excerpt

  “A typical residential customer of Dominion Energy could experience generation- and transmission-related costs increasing by an estimated $14 to $37 monthly in constant (or real) dollars by 2040 (independent of inflation).”

• Piedmont Environmental Council: The Piedmont Environmental Council's president said the SCC's decision does not go far enough to protect ratepayers and that data centers should pay more for transmission and other infrastructure. (Cardinal News, 2025-11-26)
  Source excerpt

  “does not go far enough to protect the average Virginian ratepayer.”

Sources saying customers are protected, or bills are lower than they would be

• Virginia JLARC (consultant study): A consultant study commissioned by JLARC found that current rates allocate costs appropriately to the customers responsible, including data centers. (Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission (JLARC), 2024-12-09)
  Source excerpt

  “The study found that current rates appropriately allocate costs to the customers responsible for incurring them, including data center customers.”

• Virginia SCC (as reported by Cardinal News): The SCC said the GS-5 provisions are meant to help insulate ratepayers from infrastructure build-out costs for businesses such as data centers. (Cardinal News, 2025-11-26)
  Source excerpt

  “to help insulate ratepayers from the costs around the rapid build-out and construction of infrastructure to support businesses such as data centers.”

These are statements by regulators, utilities, advocates and researchers about this utility or its region. They are not a prediction of any customer’s bill, which depends on rates, usage and regulator decisions.

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