Dominion expands joint venture solar farm in Utah

Dominion plans to build 400 megawatts of solar energy in Virginia in the next five years, but so far there’s less than 4 percent of that inside the state.

The utility’s largest solar farm so far is a 2.45 megawatt array — enough to power up to 500 homes — being built on Philip Morris USA’s property on Bermuda Hundred Road in Chesterfield County. It’s in the early stages of an announced 20-megawatt farm near its Remington Power Station in Fauquier County and has asked private developers for proposals for other in-state projects.

The Utah project, known as Four Brothers, is contracted under long-term power purchase agreements for 20 years with PacifiCorp, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Energy.

Under the terms of the joint venture, Dominion will invest about $500 million to acquire 50 percent of the cash equity and 99 percent of the tax equity in Four Brothers, including funding of construction.

SunEdison will contribute the remaining $150 million required to complete the project.

Dominion has invested in solar energy in other states, including California, Georgia, Indiana and Tennessee.

A subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway owns the Richmond Times-Dispatch.