Dominion Coal Retirements Could Save Ratepayers Millions

In Columbia, South Carolina, the decision over two Dominion Energy coal plants has acquired a hard price tag. An expert analysis filed Wednesday says the utility could retire Wateree in 2032 and Williams in 2034 while keeping grid reliability at today’s level—and that operating them beyond 2034 could cost ratepayers roughly $200 million for wastewater compliance.

The case rests on Dominion’s own long-range energy planning. If the company keeps both plants running, the analysis says it would generate far more electricity than needed by 2033. Once the Canadys gas plant comes online, Dominion could retire the older Wateree and Williams facilities without reducing the reliability it provides, according to testimony from Sierra Club expert witnesses.

The $200 million figure concerns the Effluent Limitation Guidelines, federal rules governing wastewater from coal plants. Dominion would face that spending if it chose to operate the facilities beyond 2034. The analysis also says the utility’s plan does not fully account for the costs and risks customers would face during the next eight years of continued coal operation.

The immediate consequence is financial. Sierra Club says delaying the closures would add pressure on families already facing an affordability crisis, while the retirements would eliminate air pollution from the two plants. Dominion has repeatedly pushed back the proposed retirement dates, according to CleanTechnica’s account.

Concretely, the finding gives South Carolina customers a path to maintain the current level of grid reliability without carrying the potential cost of keeping both coal plants open. It remains an analysis rather than a completed transition: the retirements are planned, the Canadys plant must come online, and the cost and reliability figures come from Sierra Club’s experts.