Dominion Energy Plans 3.5 Gigawatts of Battery Storage
The utility's new resource plan balances state storage mandates with the need for added gas capacity to ensure grid reliability.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Energy
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Dominion Energy has filed a new Integrated Resource Plan proposing the addition of 3.5 gigawatts of battery energy storage capacity to the Virginia power grid by 2045. The utility also plans to add 8.9 gigawatts of natural gas-fired generation, citing reliability needs and grid load growth.
Why it matters
The plan aligns Dominion’s infrastructure strategy with recently enacted state mandates for energy storage expansion while balancing the need to manage capacity shortfalls and rising load demands. It highlights the tension between integrating intermittent renewables and maintaining dispatchable baseload power in the PJM market.
Dominion’s filing includes 3.5 gigawatts of battery storage, alongside broader targets of 16,000 megawatts of short-duration and 3,480 megawatts of long-duration storage capacity by 2045. This expansion targets a PJM reserve margin currently sitting at 14.4 percent, significantly below the 20 percent target.
The players
Dominion Energy
A major utility provider operating generation and transmission assets with a current resource mix heavily reliant on natural gas.
Abigail Spanberger
The Governor of Virginia who signed the state's recent energy storage legislation into law.
The details
The utility proposes adding 8.9 gigawatts of gas-fired capacity by invoking reliability exceptions under the Virginia Clean Economy Act. To reach its 2045 storage targets, Dominion is leveraging experience from a 50-megawatt operating base and ongoing pilot projects at the Darbytown Power Station, which test non-lithium-ion battery technologies. The plan also incorporates 21 gigawatts of solar and small modular reactor sets expected to begin operation by 2042.
Timeline
February 2026: Virginia General Assembly passed energy storage legislation.
April 2026: Governor Abigail Spanberger signed storage legislation into law.
2028/2029: PJM Base Residual Auction period.
2042: Anticipated start date for small modular reactor sets.
2045: Deadline for mandated storage capacity additions.
The Tech Race
This filing reflects an industry-wide struggle to maintain grid stability amidst generation retirements and surging power demand. It positions Dominion between state-level storage mandates and the broader PJM market's tightening reserve margins.
The plan suggests a long-term transition toward a mix of large-scale battery storage and solar to stabilize the state's power supply. Residents can expect ongoing regulatory debates regarding how these infrastructure costs and capacity requirements will be reflected in future energy rates.
The takeaway
Dominion’s filing sets a aggressive trajectory for grid-scale energy storage in Virginia as the state attempts to reconcile clean energy mandates with rising demand. Watch the next PJM capacity market auctions for signs of whether this capacity is sufficient to stabilize regional reserve margins.
Further reading
Find more on how regional utilities are shifting their generation portfolios in Energy.
Live Poll
Should your local utility prioritize building battery storage capacity over adding new gas-fired power plants?
