Virginia staff attorney finds glaring data center subsidy

How it leans Ratepayers are subsidizing large loads · State regulatory staff

✓What's documented Sworn hearing testimony before the Virginia SCC, with the utility's own filed bill-impact estimates in the docket.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission heard arguments July 14 on Dominion's proposal to raise its Rider T-1 transmission charge to recover about $1.5 billion. Meta, Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Gov. Spanberger's office and Loudoun County all weighed in on who should carry the cost of transmission built for large loads. Utilities earn a regulated return on the infrastructure they build, so the fight is over which customer class pays for that return.

• Dominion seeks to recover roughly $1.5 billion in transmission costs through Rider T-1.
• Dominion first estimated the average residential bill would rise about $2.90 a month, then lowered the estimate to $0.94 a month on updated forecasting.
• SCC staff attorney Andrew Major: 'regardless of the cost allocation methodology that is chosen, there remains a glaring cross-class subsidization occurring to the benefit of new GS-5 customers.'
• Major noted Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta signed the White House ratepayer protection pledge in March, and that none of them mentioned it in pre-filed testimony or opening statements.
• The SCC must issue a decision in the case by Aug. 1.