Utility Tariff Analysis · Updated September 2026

Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff: What It Means for AI Data Center Siting in Virginia

September 18, 2026 6 min read Strategic Crypto Reserve Data Center Infrastructure

Customers with 25 MW or more of contracted load fall into the GS-5 rate class, effective January 1, 2027, requiring a minimum of 85 percent of contracted distribution and transmission demand and 60 percent of generation demand to be paid every month regardless of actual usage, backed by $1.5 million per MW in upfront collateral over a 14-year minimum contract term.

Virginia at a glance: industrial power about 9.5¢/kWh (EIA-based, indexed to April 2026) · grid queue about 48 months · data center equipment tax exemption: available. Indicative figures from the SCR AI Build Configurator v1.4.0.

The Tariff Explained Model a Virginia Build Free
Virginia AI data center power map: Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff large-load tariff

Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff

VA

Dominion Energy Virginia

PUR-2025-00058

Regulatory docket / filing reference

Customers with 25 MW or more of contracted load

Who the tariff applies to

Customers with 25 MW or more of contracted load fall into the GS-5 rate class, effective January 1, 2027, requiring a minimum of 85 percent of contracted distribution and transmission demand and 60 percent of generation demand to be paid every month regardless of actual usage, backed by $1.5 million per MW in upfront collateral over a 14-year minimum contract term.

Also active in Virginia: Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, with 11,800 MW of current connected capacity. Dominion Energy Virginia serves 450 data center customers and has connected nearly 16 new data center customers per year, adding 615 MW of load annually over the past decade. PJM's interconnection queue now runs to the early 2030s for large Northern Virginia AI campuses, with wait times for the biggest projects reported approaching seven years.

Virginia at a glance: large-load tariff threshold, docket and who it applies to

Named Projects Already Underway

CustomerLocationDetails
AWSVirginia (statewide)$35 billion investment across the state for data centers
Dominion Energy Virginia customer exampleRichmond, VA900 MW data center project, with power provided in three 300 MW phases through 2033

Policy Update, 1 October 2026

A data centre electricity consumption tax of US$0.011 per kWh has applied since 1 July 2026 (HB 30) on grid and self-generated power, capped at US$600 million a year and scheduled through 30 June 2028; the equipment sales tax exemption was kept. The State Corporation Commission ordered on 31 July 2026 that new large loads pay directly for transmission built only to serve them, with Dominion to file within 90 days, and Prince William County ended by-right data centre development on 22 September 2026, so new sites there need a special use permit. The SCR AI Build Configurator adds the tax to modelled energy cost from version 1.4.0. At the federal level, FERC issued show-cause orders on large-load interconnection to all six RTOs and ISOs on 18 June 2026, and PJM filed a framework on 13 August 2026 under which new loads of 50 MW or more that do not bring their own capacity face curtailment ahead of other demand response from 1 June 2027.

Figures compiled from the Edison Electric Institute's "Large Load Projects and Tariffs" (September 2026) member-company summary and public regulatory filings. Confirm current tariff terms directly with Dominion Energy Virginia and the relevant state public utility commission before relying on any figure for a capital decision.

Weighing Virginia against another state or a Canadian province with a different rate and interconnection picture entirely? Run both sides of the comparison through our licensed AI data center cost configurator — it applies each jurisdiction's actual power rate, tax treatment and large-load tariff rules to the same seven build configurations.

Dominion’s GS-5 tariff is one of the most closely watched large-load rate designs in the country; our own crypto data center in BC runs under a very different hydroelectric rate structure for comparison.

Named data center projects underway in Virginia Named Projects Already Underway: Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff: What It Means for AI Data Center Siting in Virginia

Model This State on Your Own Site

Every figure above comes from the same power-cost and tariff dataset behind the SCR AI Build Configurator — a licensed, embeddable widget that models seven data center build configurations against all nine Canadian provinces and all 50 US states plus DC, returning capital expenditure by line item, energy cost, revenue by commercial structure, EBITDA and payback.

LicencePrice (CAD)Who it suits
Standard$4,000 / domain / yearAdvisors who need three lease-model configurations and a clipboard summary
Pro$10,000 / domain / yearConsultants who send CSV deliverables to clients and want all seven configurations
EnterpriseFrom $25,000 / year, up to 3 domainsDevelopers and EPC firms who want the model on their own cost basis with attribution removed

Not ready for an annual licence? A one-time Site Screening Report ($950, one site) runs the same model for a single build without embedding anything.

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Model a Virginia data center build in the SCR AI Build Configurator: CapEx, power cost, EBITDA and payback Model This State on Your Own Site: Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff: What It Means for AI Data Center Siting in Virginia

Compare Virginia With Nearby States

Large-load rules change sharply at state lines. See how the neighbouring utilities handle data center and high-density loads before you shortlist a site.

North Carolina

Duke Energy NC large load
Maryland

Maryland large-load schedule
West Virginia

Appalachian Power LCP / IP
Kentucky

KU/LG&E EHLF tariff
All 50 State Tariffs Data Center Cost Calculator AI Build Configurations

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff?

Customers with 25 MW or more of contracted load fall into the GS-5 rate class, effective January 1, 2027, requiring a minimum of 85 percent of contracted distribution and transmission demand and 60 percent of generation demand to be paid every month regardless of actual usage, backed by $1.5 million per MW in upfront collateral over a 14-year minimum contract term.

Why did Dominion Energy Virginia introduce this large-load structure?

To ensure the cost of new generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure built to serve very large customers, chiefly hyperscale data centers, is paid for by those customers rather than spread across the general rate base of residential and small commercial ratepayers.

What large data center projects are already active in Virginia?

Northern Virginia is the largest data center market in the world, with 11,800 MW of current connected capacity. Dominion Energy Virginia serves 450 data center customers and has connected nearly 16 new data center customers per year, adding 615 MW of load annually over the past decade. PJM's interconnection queue now runs to the early 2030s for large Northern Virginia AI campuses, with wait times for the biggest projects reported approaching seven years.

Does this tariff replace Virginia's standard commercial and industrial rates?

No. Dominion Energy's GS-5 Large-Load Tariff sits above Dominion Energy Virginia's standard commercial and industrial rate schedules and applies specifically to customers that meet or exceed the large-load threshold described above. Smaller commercial and industrial loads continue to be billed under existing rate schedules.

How can I model a Virginia data center build against this tariff and other states?

The SCR AI Build Configurator applies Virginia's power cost, tax treatment and large-load tariff rules alongside all other US states and Canadian provinces, so a Virginia scenario can be compared line-by-line against any alternative site.