Dominion Energy’s Latest Battery Storage RFP

In early October 2025, Dominion Energy Virginia and Dominion Energy North Carolina issued a major Request for Proposals (RFP) aimed at accelerating their transition toward a cleaner and more resilient energy portfolio. The solicitation is a cornerstone of Dominion’s effort to fulfill the Virginia Clean Economy Act (VCEA) mandate and advance the company’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which calls for 21.1 GW of new clean energy capacity, including 4.5 GW of battery storage by 2040.

This RFP is designed to attract qualified renewable developers and energy asset operators capable of delivering large-scale and distributed solar, wind, and energy storage projects across key Mid-Atlantic markets. Dominion’s push comes during a period of rapid demand growth - projected at roughly 5% per year - underscoring its need for flexible, dispatchable assets that stabilize an increasingly renewable grid

Types of Renewable Projects Sought

The October 2025 RFP invites proposals across five project categories: new photovoltaic (PV) solar, solar co-located with battery storage, onshore wind, onshore wind co-located with storage, and stand-alone energy storage. Dominion will consider both Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and asset acquisition arrangements, enabling participation from independent developers and investors.

Projects are divided into utility-scale (>3 MW) and distributed-scale (≤3 MW) proposals, with all distributed resources required to be located within Dominion Energy Virginia (DEV) or Dominion Energy North Carolina (DENC) service territories. Distributed assets must provide demonstrable local grid benefits such as voltage support or demand reduction, particularly in urban and high-load areas. Dominion specifically encourages development on repurposed land - including brownfields, landfills, and industrial sites - to minimize environmental impact and facilitate community acceptance

The utility also seeks non-residential rooftop and carport installations on commercial, municipal, and institutional structures to diversify generation points closer to demand centers. This aligns with Dominion’s broader grid strategy to enhance resilience and reduce transmission congestion across Virginia and North Carolina.

Requirements for Battery Storage Assets

Dominion’s RFP establishes clear technical and safety standards for Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) proposals. Storage resources must provide a minimum of four-hour energy duration using AC-coupled lithium-ion technology - currently the industry standard for reliability, cost efficiency, and grid integration. Developers may propose alternative storage technologies (e.g., flow batteries, hybrid chemistries) but must also submit a conforming lithium-ion-based plan for evaluation

Projects must be submitted as single-site assets (not aggregated portfolios) and meet Dominion’s spatial and fire safety design criteria, including 25–50 ft internal spacing and 100 ft setbacks for facilities exceeding 10 MW. Other infrastructure requirements include stormwater basin sizing in accordance with Virginia DEQ standards, geotechnical assessments, and firewall design supplements to mitigate environmental and thermal risk.

From an operational perspective, Dominion emphasizes the role of storage in grid balancing, peak shaving, and intermittency mitigation. The systems should support bidirectional power flow and be capable of independent dispatch for grid support or PPA fulfillment. These technical conditions are consistent with Dominion’s ongoing pilot programs in New Kent and Dulles International Airport (VA), which have informed their standardized design and evaluation criteria.

Dominion Energy’s BESS Capacity Expansion Plans

Dominion Energy’s battery strategy reflects a long-term vision for grid modernization and reliability. As outlined in its 2024 Integrated Resource Plan, the company plans to deploy 4.5 GW of energy storage capacity by 2040, corresponding to approximately 20% of the total new renewable capacity it expects to bring online by that time. More near-term development milestones include the addition of 2.7 GW of battery storage in Virginia by 2040, enough to power over 650,000 homes at peak output according to Dominion’s New Kent Battery Storage Pilot Program.

The 2025 RFP builds on Dominion’s foundation of pilot-scale projects, such as a 12 MW BESS at the Scott Solar facility, 2 MW installations in Hanover and New Kent Counties, and a 20 MW deployment at Dry Bridge in Chesterfield County approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). These deployments serve as prototypes for scaling grid-connected storage.

In line with the Virginia Clean Economy Act, which mandates at least 2.7 GW of energy storage by 2035, Dominion’s trajectory now places it well ahead of regulatory deadlines. Its hybridization strategy - pairing storage with solar and wind sites - enhances resource capacity factors while improving the economics of renewable dispatchability. Over the next decade, the utility expects battery storage to become central to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, ensuring resilient power availability under growing regional demand.