Nathaniel A Rice

Abstract Title

Utility Perspective of Large Digital Loads
Dominion Energy plays a leading role in serving data centers, especially in Northern Virginia, the “Data Center Capital of the World,” where a large portion of global internet traffic passes. The company is experiencing rapid growth in data center load requests and is focused on transparent communication to support grid planning and reliability. Recent large load transfer events caused by faults on 230 kV lines led to significant data center loads switching to on-site backup generation, resulting in voltage spikes that required manual correction. These events highlight the need to understand and standardize data center dynamic responses during faults to enhance grid resilience. Lessons learned from these events have been included in the Facility Interconnection Requirements (FIR) and have fostered valuable conversations with customers and other utility companies. This presentation will discuss how Dominion Energy has leveraged decades of serving data centers to prepare for rapid load growth, the challenges with concentration of digital load in a small area, and the steps that the company is taking to ensure reliable operation while serving customers. 

Contact

nathaniel.a.rice@dominionenergy.com