Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) Project, Part of Comprehensive “All of the Above” Energy Strategy to Affordably Meet Growing Energy Needs, Continues on Schedule, Cost Updated
04 February 2025 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
- No change to expected on-time project completion at end of
2026
- Project achieving significant construction milestones including
the successful installation of the first 16 transition pieces
- Updated project cost reflects revised estimate of network
upgrade costs assigned by PJM to CVOW which represented the largest
unfixed cost input for the project; contingency now reflects ~5% of
remaining project investment
- Robust cost sharing mechanisms protect customers and
shareholders
- Expected average impact over the life of the project to a
typical residential customer bill is 43 cents per month
- Project has robust bipartisan support from Virginia government
and congressional leaders, local communities, defense interests,
commercial marine industry, civic, educational, environmental,
labor and community partners
- Dominion Energy reaffirms its existing guidance for 2025
operating EPS (non-GAAP), long-term operating EPS growth rate, and
credit
Dominion Energy, Inc. (NYSE: D), today provided several updates
for the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) project. The 2.6 GW,
fully permitted project is now approximately 50% complete and
remains on track for on-time completion at the end of 2026. CVOW is
credited with creating 2,000 direct and indirect American jobs and
$2 billion of economic activity.
Significant construction progress supports on-time
completion
CVOW continues to achieve significant construction milestones
including the successful installation of the first 16 transition
pieces which serve as the junction between the foundation and tower
for each of the 176 wind turbines. Delivery of the first of three
4,300-ton offshore substations to the Portsmouth Marine Terminal in
Virginia Beach occurred at the end of January. Fully fabricated
monopiles, transition pieces, undersea cable and other major
components continue to be delivered in preparation for on-schedule
installation. Wind turbine tower and blade fabrication is now
underway, with nacelle fabrication to begin later this quarter.
SiemensGamesa, the project’s wind turbine supplier, is
manufacturing the same turbine model for CVOW as has been
successfully fabricated, installed, and is now operating at the
Moray West offshore wind project. Charybdis, the American built,
flagged, and crewed, wind turbine installation vessel (WTIG) is now
96% complete and has commenced sea trials in Brownsville,
Texas.
Project cost updated
Estimated total project costs, inclusive of contingency and
excluding financing costs, have increased ~9 percent, from $9.8
billion to $10.7 billion. This is the first and only increase since
the original project budget was submitted to the Virginia State
Corporation Commission (SCC) in November 2021, approximately 39
months ago. Relative to the original budget of $9.8 billion, the
cost increase is attributable to higher network upgrade costs which
are assigned by PJM, the regional electric grid operator, to CVOW
as part of the generator interconnect process and higher onshore
electrical interconnection costs. New electric generation resources
constructed within PJM, like CVOW, are assigned costs by PJM that
are deemed necessary to effectively integrate these resources and
ensure the reliability and stability of the electric grid. Higher
network upgrade cost estimates by PJM reflect the significant
increase in demand growth that require incremental generation and
transmission resources across the system. Network upgrades do not
impact project construction or timeline and represented the largest
unfixed cost input for the project. Aside from changes to onshore
costs, aggregate costs for other project costs, including offshore,
have remained in-line with the original budget. The project’s
current unused contingency of $222 million, up ~$100 million from
last update, now represents ~5% of remaining project costs.
Robust cost sharing mechanisms protect customers
The project remains an affordable source of electricity for
Dominion Energy Virginia customers with robust cost sharing
mechanisms that protect customers and shareholders. As a result of
the comprehensive stakeholder settlement approved by the SCC in
December 2022, 50% of the updated total project costs above $10.3
billion are unrecoverable from customers and borne by the project
owners. As a result of the total project cost update, the expected
average impact over the life of the project to a typical
residential customer bill using 1,000 kWh per month is a 43 cent
per month increase. The project’s updated levelized cost of energy
(“LCOE”) of ~$62 (vs. the prior estimate in November 2024 of $56)
continues to benchmark very favorably with new generation
alternatives including solar, battery and gas-fired generation.
Business review significantly reduced project risk for
shareholders
In addition to the existence of robust cost sharing mechanisms
for customers, as part of the comprehensive business review,
Dominion Energy successfully completed a non-controlling equity
financing with Stonepeak. Under terms of that agreement, Stonepeak
agreed to fund 50% of project costs up to $11.3 billion, with
additional sharing of costs in excess of $11.3 billion. As a
result, Stonepeak will fund half, or ~$450 million, of the ~$900
million increase in total project costs. Further, Stonepeak and
Dominion Energy will each absorb 50% of increased total projects
costs that are not expected to be recovered from customers under
the December 2022 settlement order. As a result, Dominion Energy
expects its Q4 2024 results will include an ~$100 million charge,
which will be excluded from operating earnings (non-GAAP), for such
amount. Additional information may be found on the company’s
Investor Relations website at
https://investors.dominionenergy.com/events-and-presentations
Fourth quarter 2024 earnings call
The company will host its fourth quarter 2024 investor call, as
originally scheduled, on February 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM ET. During
the call, management will discuss matters of interest to financial
and other stakeholders including recent financial results, updated
capital investment expectations and financing plans. The company
reaffirms its existing 2025 operating earnings per share (EPS)
guidance, as well as its long-term operating earnings per share
growth guidance of 5% to 7% through 2029 off of 2025 operating
earnings per share midpoint excluding RNG 45Z ($3.30). The company
also reaffirms its existing credit guidance.
Important note to investors regarding operating, reported
earnings
Dominion Energy uses operating earnings (non-GAAP) as the
primary performance measurement of its results for public
communications with analysts and investors. Operating earnings are
defined as reported earnings adjusted for certain items. Dominion
Energy also uses operating earnings internally for budgeting, for
reporting to the Board of Directors, for the company's incentive
compensation plans, and for its targeted dividend payouts and other
purposes. Dominion Energy management believes operating earnings
provide a more meaningful representation of the company's
fundamental earnings power.
About Dominion Energy
Dominion Energy (NYSE: D), headquartered in Richmond, Va.,
provides regulated electricity service to 3.6 million homes and
businesses in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and
regulated natural gas service to 500,000 customers in South
Carolina. The company is one of the nation's leading developers and
operators of regulated offshore wind and solar power and the
largest producer of carbon-free electricity in New England. The
company's mission is to provide the reliable, affordable, and
increasingly clean energy that powers its customers every day.
Please visit DominionEnergy.com to learn more.
This release contains certain forward-looking statements within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995
that are subject to various risks and uncertainties. These factors
are identified in Dominion Energy's Forms 10-K and 10-Q filed with
the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Dominion Energy refers
readers to those reports for further information. Any
forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is
made, and Dominion Energy undertakes no obligation to update any
forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances
occurring after the date on which it is made.
News Category: Virginia & North Carolina
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250203137970/en/
For further information: Media: Jeremy Slayton, (804) 297-5247
or Jeremy.L.Slayton@dominionenergy.com; Investor Relations: David
McFarland, (804) 819-2438 or
David.M.McFarland@dominionenergy.com
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