Cumberland County VA Approves Dominion Gas Plant Permit
Cumberland County supervisors approved Dominion Energy's conditional-use permit for the proposed Cumberland Energy Center, a roughly 3,000-megawatt natural-gas power plant off Duncan Store Road. Supporters cite jobs and tax revenue, while opponents have raised concerns about emissions, water use, noise and the project's impact on the county's rural character.
The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors voted 3-1 to approve Dominion Energy's conditional-use permit for the proposed Cumberland Energy Center in northwestern Cumberland County. The combined-cycle gas plant is expected to generate about 3,000 megawatts and could power approximately 750,000 homes, with construction tentatively scheduled to begin in 2029 and operations targeted for 2033 or 2034.
The project still requires an air permit from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and a determination from the Virginia State Corporation Commission that the facility is needed and economically reasonable for ratepayers. Dominion projects roughly 450 construction and operational jobs and more than $500 million in local tax revenue, while leaving open the possibility of using hydrogen in the future.
Supporters view the plant as an economic and energy-infrastructure opportunity, but opponents have objected to potential emissions, water consumption, noise and changes to the rural landscape. Dominion has linked much of the state's projected electricity-demand growth to data centers, which account for about 75% of its forecast increase.