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Dominion Cove Point Earns LEED Certification for Energy-Efficient Building

Posted on: Friday, 10 October 2008, 15:00 CDT

LUSBY, Md., Oct. 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Dominion today dedicated a new administration building at its Cove Point liquefied natural gas facility that has earned "silver" certification from the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for meeting stringent standards for its energy usage and environmental impact. The levels of certification are certified, silver, gold and platinum -- the highest.

"Dominion is committed to operating Cove Point in harmony with the environment and in a manner that supports the local economy and community," said Paul D. Koonce, chief executive officer for Dominion Energy. "This building accomplishes both goals."

LEED provides a comprehensive approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoor environmental quality. The building was constructed with locally produced materials such as bricks, windows and cement, thereby helping local businesses and reducing the amount of energy required for transportation. When construction was completed, more than 85 percent of the waste material was recycled instead of being sent to a landfill.

"Dominion's decision to design and construct the new administration building to meet the rigorous LEED standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council further demonstrates our commitment to excellent environmental stewardship at Cove Point," said Pamela F. Faggert, vice president and chief environmental officer for Dominion.

Energy-efficient and environmentally friendly features include: -- A location chosen to avoid impacting wetlands and to maintain open space; -- High levels of insulation in roof, walls, windows and doors to reduce heat and cooling loss; -- Extensive use of natural lighting; -- Downward-focused exterior lighting to prevent "light pollution," and -- Restrooms using 40 percent less water than a standard design.

The new building uses about 32 percent less energy overall than a traditionally designed structure. Dominion is offsetting the electricity this building uses by purchasing more than 550,000 kilowatt-hours of wind power annually, preventing the production of 750,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,000 megawatts of generation, 1.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves, 14,000 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline and 6,000 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage facility with 975 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves retail energy customers in 12 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at http://www.dom.com/ .

Dominion

CONTACT: Karl Neddenien of Dominion, +1-804-771-6115,Karl.R.Neddenien@dom.com

Web site: http://www.dom.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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