Businesses Aggressively Signing Up For
Energy Choice
Commercial & Industrial Lottery Selection Dec. 15
RICHMOND, Va. - Business and industrial customers
within Dominion Virginia Power's service area are aggressively signing up for
the company's new pilot
program that is designed to make it easier for them both to obtain power
from competitive suppliers and save money.
"This pilot currently has more volunteers
than open slots so we will be conducting a lottery to select the participants
on Dec. 15, said Jay L. Johnson, president and chief executive officer. "I
encourage all large commercial and industrial customers who qualify for this
program to sign up. The lottery process will determine who gets the first chance
to purchase electricity as part of the pilot program from someone other than
Dominion Virginia Power."
Dominion will continue to take volunteers for
the commercial and industrial pilot, which is one of three approved in September
2003 by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. Those customers can sign
up at the company's Web site, www.dom.com,
or by calling toll-free 1-888-667-3000.
This pilot program is limited to 200 megawatts.
Already 734 customer accounts with a total electrical demand of 635 megawatts
have signed to participate, making a lottery necessary. Participants from anywhere
in Dominion's Virginia service area can shop for and secure their deals for
electricity from competitive suppliers. Two other retail access pilot programs
will be introduced, making up to 300 megawatts of load from a variety of customer
classes available to competitive service providers.
Regardless of which company supplies a participant's
electricity, Dominion Virginia Power will still deliver it to the customer and
maintain all wires, poles and equipment. Any time during the pilot customers
can return to Dominion Virginia Power for electricity supply service at their
current rate, which is capped until July 1, 2007. Dominion expects the program
to provide valuable experience for customers, suppliers, utilities and regulators
as Virginia continues to develop a competitive electricity marketplace.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers
of energy with an energy portfolio of more than 24,000 megawatts of generation.
Dominion also serves 5.3 million retail energy customers in nine states. For
more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.
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