Natural Gas Project to Meet Growing Energy Demand in D.C., Virginia and Maryland

- Supplies from Dominion’s Eastern Market Access project would heat homes and generate electricity
- Washington Gas, electric power-generation facility signed as customers
- No new pipeline is being proposed; one new compressor station site at an existing facility

RICHMOND, Va. – Dominion (NYSE: D) today announced plans to build the Eastern Market Access project, designed to bring more natural gas for customers of Washington Gas and a new electric power-generation facility being built in Maryland.

Dominion said it will seek approval of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to build the project to serve two local customers: Washington Gas, a local gas utility that serves more than one million residential, commercial and industrial customers in metro D.C., Maryland and Virginia; and a new electric power-generation facility being built in Maryland.

"This project will help ensure energy reliability by providing much-needed supplies of natural gas," said Diane Leopold, president-Dominion Energy. "Our facilities continue to fulfill a critical public service need — to heat and power homes and businesses. Reliable access to natural gas in northern Virginia, southern Maryland and Washington D.C. will provide lasting economic benefits to the region."

The project would include adding compression and auxiliary facilities along Dominion’s existing interstate natural gas transmission pipeline. Plans call for adding a new compressor station at a Dominion property in Charles County, Md., and supplementing compression capacity at an existing station in Loudoun County, Va., as well as additional work at Dominion's Fairfax County, Va. facility. All of these stations would meet or surpass all federal, state and local regulations for noise and emissions controls. No new pipeline right of way would be required.

Eastern Market Access would add approximately 31,370 horsepower of compression and provide 294,000 dekatherms per day of firm transportation service, which would be enough natural gas for an average winter day for more than 267,000 households. The estimated cost is about $145 million for the project which, if approved, is projected to be in-service by late 2018.

Open houses will be held in the fall for landowners, government officials, and members of the public who are interested in learning more about the project.

Dominion plans to file an application in November for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity with the FERC, the agency responsible for reviewing and authorizing interstate natural gas transmission projects. The commission will conduct a full review of the project in compliance with two federal statutes, the Natural Gas Act and National Environmental Policy Act.

For additional information about Eastern Market Access, please visit www.dom.com/easternmarket. Interested parties with project questions also can contact Dominion by phone (toll free) at 844-319-2065 or by email at easternmarket@dom.com and will obtain a response in a timely manner.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 14,400 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,500 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1 trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6 million utility and retail energy customers. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

For further information: Virginia: Frank Mack, (804) 771-3141, frank.mack@dom.com Maryland: Karl Neddenien, (410) 286-5749, karl.r.neddenien@dom.com Financial analyst: Kristy Babcock, (804) 819-2492, kristy.r.babcock@dom.com