Project

Interconnection Program Management

Dominion Energy aims to deliver clean, renewable power to align with Virginia’s mandate to achieve 100% renewable energy by 2045. This initiative is driving an increase in interconnection requests as solar, wind and battery storage developers seize opportunities to build facilities within Dominion’s service area.

These interconnection requests represent hundreds of projects that must be managed through each phase of the PJM Interconnection queue process, including but not limited to planning, engineering, procurement, construction, energization and closeout. Our team, via a program management contract, is responsible for the program as well as individual project management for all proposed interconnection projects for renewables — such as solar, wind and battery storage systems — on the Dominion transmission grid.

Our team set up a program framework with a team of specialists near the utility’s office in Glen Allen, Virginia, and provided a core management group to coordinate closely with PJM, Dominion Energy and developers throughout the planning and execution processes. The program management team delivers services including project management, environmental desktop reviews, GIS support, scoping, estimating, conceptual engineering, project controls, reporting, transmission planning, outage sequencing and construction oversight.

These projects encompass transmission line upgrades, substation upgrades, and the development of greenfield transmission interconnection switchyards and tap lines, with voltage levels ranging from 69-kV to 500-kV. In light of Virginia’s clean energy mandate, it is expected that the number of interconnection requests from renewable energy developers will continue to grow.

Client

Dominion Energy

Location

Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina

Region

Mid-Atlantic

Services

Electrical Transmission & Distribution

Program Management

Interconnection Facilities

Substations

Electrical Transmission

Industry

Power

Reports & Estimates Beginning 2024

122

phase 1 (combined feasibility and system impact), through June 2024

0

phase 2 (standalone facilities) through January 2025

0

phase 3 (network upgrade facilities) through August 2025

Originally focused on generator interconnection projects, our successful execution and established trust led Dominion Energy to expand our scope of program management services to include capital expenditure projects.

This resulted in the program evolving into two distinct portfolios: interconnection projects and capital expenditure projects. Despite the bifurcation, we maintain a unified program management team, facilitating consistency and oversight.

In 2024, Dominion Energy’s sourcing requirements and FERC prudency regulations required a competitive rebid of our interconnection and capital expenditure program management services into separate purchase orders. Based on our proven performance, the rebid solidified our ongoing partnership with Dominion Energy, formalizing what had been an organic progression into structured portfolios.

Dominion Energy faced the challenge of not being able to fully leverage its internal resources to support the nation’s fastest-growing data center market, a multibillion-dollar regionally coordinated transmission expansion plan and the state’s clean energy mandate. Our adaptive approach involves continually reassessing resource allocation while maintaining consistent project management to sustain steady progress and accountability. The project team has met these demands, balancing the workload across both portfolios without compromising project continuity.

As part of the generation interconnection portfolio, we have completed over 700 reports for Dominion Energy and PJM Planning teams, successfully placing 45 projects in service, with more than 90 ongoing in 2024. In the capital expenditure portfolio, we have moved 116 projects from planning to execution, placing 60 in service and advancing 55 additional projects in 2024.

Our support of Dominion Energy’s interconnection and capital expenditure programs highlights our commitment to providing robust solutions that facilitate renewable energy integration and infrastructure enhancements. Our ongoing collaboration with Dominion, PJM and developers prioritizes efficient management of both the interconnection and capital expenditure portfolios, addressing the region’s clean energy goals while adapting to both emerging markets and project demands.