The Virginia State Corporation Commission has approved Dominion Virginia Power’s plan to build a 1,588 MW, natural gas-fired combined-cycle plant in Greensville County, rejecting the assertion by groups representing independent power producers and environmentalists that the utility failed to fully explore cost-effective alternatives. In its order Tuesday, the SCC said Dominion “has established a need for the capacity and energy the project would provide,” and — despite claims to the contrary — “we find … the company undertook serious and credible efforts to assess the cost and availability of third-party alternatives.” In January, PJM Power Providers and the Electric Power Supply Association told the SCC that it should reject Dominion’s application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity because the utility’s November 2014 request for proposals for 1,600 MW “was not designed to elicit competitive bids.” The IPP groups expressed similar concerns about the RFP the month after […]