Dominion Energy (VA) Stated In Filing That Outside Monitor Checked Gas Plant Bids; Now They Admit That They Lied

Dominion Energy, Virginia’s largest electric utility, did not have an independent monitor review bids for its planned gas plant in Chesterfield County and now has told state authorities that it alone reviewed the bids.

Questions raised by Virginia’s Attorney General’s Division of Consumer Counsel prompted Dominion this month to amend its months-old filing about the plant, making clear that an outside monitor had no part in the bidding process. Dominion had said, in previous written filings, that there was an independent monitor overseeing its bids for the gas structure planned at the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center.

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), which is fighting the fossil-fuel project now under review by regulators at the State Corporation Commission, noted the wording change last week and said Dominion should answer why and how an outside monitor was not used—and why there was any confusion in its filings. The Division of Consumer Counsel, which is focused on keeping rates affordable, requested in April that Dominion provide documents, including a report from any independent monitor related to the bidding process. In previous written filings with the state, Dominion said that an independent monitor had reviewed the bids “though it did not prepare a formal report.”

Last week, the utility responded in writing to the attorney general’s office that there was an “unbiased review” of the bids “conducted by the company,” consistent with “company practice.” It said, “an independent monitor was not involved in the bid evaluation process.” SELC senior attorney Grayson Holmes said the discrepancy was surprising given the need for state regulators to review Dominion’s plans. “You want to make sure it’s done well,” said Holmes, referring to the regulatory filing. “You want to make sure everything is done in a way that the public can trust that their money’s being spent well.”

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13082025/dominion-energy-admits-no-independent-review-for-virginia-gas-plant/