What Dominion says the Cumberland Energy Center will look like and when it would operate

Dominion Energy Virginia told the Cumberland County Planning Commission that the Cumberland Energy Center would occupy multiple parcels totaling about 972.58 acres with a built footprint of roughly 140 acres plus about 55 acres for transmission connections.

Applicant representative Rafi Raza Jaffrey described the plant as two combined‑cycle power trains (two gas turbines plus one steam turbine in each train), with air‑cooled condensers, a natural‑gas supply via an underground pipeline and backup ultra‑low sulfur heating oil to be delivered by truck. He said emission stacks could reach 300 feet and other buildings up to 199 feet, subject to county waivers and final site‑plan review. "This power station is going to be able to support our customer base," Jaffrey said during his presentation.

Dominion described a development timeline in which conditional‑use approval is the first step, followed by state air permitting and other regulatory approvals; the applicant said construction is not expected to begin before 2029 and that operation is anticipated in the 2033–2034 timeframe. The applicant also told commissioners several items remain "gating" steps — transmission interconnection, DEQ air permits, water and wastewater arrangements, and state corporation commission approvals.

Staff reiterated that some technical details (final stack heights, exact transmission routing, and detailed pollutant tonnage) will be worked out in state and federal permitting processes and in final site‑plan submissions to the county. Commissioners and public speakers repeatedly noted the absence of concrete, county‑verifiable numbers for water withdrawals and cumulative emissions during the hearing.