Dominion Energy releases sustainability, corporate responsibility report

From developing the largest offshore wind project in the Americas to committing tens of millions of dollars to promote higher education equity, Dominion Energy is transforming how the company serves customers and communities for the greater good.

The details are outlined in the company’s newly released Sustainability and Corporate Responsibility Report, which can be accessed online at sustainability.dominionenergy.com.

“We live in a period of remarkable industrial, environmental, and social change,” said Thomas F. Farrell, II, executive chairman. “Our company is not only accepting that change, we are embracing it and leading the way.”

The report covers Dominion Energy’s initiatives across a range of areas, from safety and environmental management to diversity and employee benefits. Select highlights of the report include:

Clean energy investments

• Significant investments in renewable energy, energy storage, and gas distribution line replacements.
• Owner of the third-largest solar portfolio among investor-owned utilities.
• Developer of the largest offshore wind farm in the Americas (2.6GW).
• Partner in the largest agricultural waste-to-energy initiative in the country.

Protecting the environment

• Committed to net zero carbon and methane emissions by 2050.
• 57 percent reduction in carbon emissions since 2005.
• 25 percent reduction in methane emissions from natural gas infrastructure since 2010.
• Significant waste reduction programs, reusing or recycling nearly 46 tons of IT equipment in 2019 and diverting more than 34 tons of food waste from landfills.
• Continued and expanded habitat and wildlife protection programs.

Serving communities

• Contributed $48.5 million to social betterment through energy assistance as well as grants to nonprofits serving human needs, education, the arts, cultural institutions (including $2.5 million for the International African American Museum in Charleston, S.C.), and more.
• Committed $35 million over the next six years in support of historically black colleges and universities, and scholarships for underrepresented minorities in post-secondary education.
• Increased spending with diverse suppliers by more than 90 percent since 2013.
• Donated 131,000 hours of volunteer time from employees in 2019.

Empowering people

• Ranked among America’s best employers and best employers for diversity (Forbes), America’s most responsible companies (Newsweek), and “Best for Vets” (Military Times), and has received a perfect score from the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index.
• New commitment to increase diverse workforce representation by 1 percent each year.
• Increased diverse hiring rate from 27 percent to 45 percent from 2013-2019.
• Expanded Employee Resource Groups from six to eight to include Asian Pacific Islanders and persons with disabilities or those who care for them. Existing groups include resources for women, African-Americans, Latinx, LGBTQ+ employees, veterans, and young professionals.
• Record for safety performance in 2019.

Additional sections of the report detail the company’s response to the coronavirus pandemic and to the social unrest that followed the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May 2020.

“This report demonstrates that we are not just a leader in providing clean, reliable, and affordable energy to our customers,” said Robert M. Blue, president and chief executive officer. “We are leading the way in environmental and social responsibility as well.”

The report covers a wide range of other topics, including cybersecurity programs, charitable activities, energy efficiency efforts, and extensive safety and employee development programs. It also delivers on Dominion Energy’s commitment to openness and transparency, with sections on corporate governance and stakeholder engagement; environmental, natural gas, and social and workforce metrics; and indices that map to a Priority Sustainability Issue Assessment, as well as standards from the Global Reporting Initiative, the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

To learn more, you can view the full report online at sustainability.dominionenergy.com.