January 21, 2005

RICHMOND, Va. – Dominion Virginia Power prepared Friday for a winter storm expected to roll through much of its service area Saturday morning and into Sunday. Company trucks were being stocked and fueled and crews were being made ready to move to the hardest hit areas.

Dominion expects the storm to bring a mix of snow, ice and freezing rain across the state, with heaviest amounts in Northern and Central Virginia. High winds are also expected, which could also knock trees and limbs into power lines, creating widespread outages. The exact timing and track of the storm may vary. Customers should call toll-free 1-888-667-3000 to report a power outage.

Dominion is also taking the following steps to ensure the company is prepared for the potential bad weather:

• Material is being inventoried and readied for movement.
   
• Additional crews from other parts of the service area have been placed on standby in the event additional assistance is needed.
   
• The company is contacting nearby utilities to arrange for additional crews if needed.

Dominion reminds its customers to take the following preventive measures:

• Watch for downed wires. Customers should always stay back and consider all power lines energized. Call Dominion Virginia Power at 1-888-667-3000 to report downed power lines.
   
• If you have an electric generator, don't connect it directly to your home’s wiring. A generator that is directly connected can backfeed onto power lines and harm our linemen. For generator use safety tips, go to http://www.dom.com/about/safety/generator.jsp.
   
• Have a few good flashlights around the house, kept in places where you can easily find them in the dark, and make sure you have fresh batteries on hand as well. A battery-powered radio or television is also recommended to make sure you can stay tuned to weather and storm-related news and take additional measures as needed.
   
• If you use computers or other sensitive electronic equipment, you may wish to equip them with surge suppressors or other devices to protect them from the power fluctuations that may accompany power outages.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with an energy portfolio of about 28,340 megawatts of generation. Dominion also serves retail energy customers in eight states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.

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Note to reporters and editors: Real-time outage information can be obtained on Dominion’s Web site, www.dom.com, by going to the “News” tab at the top of the home page and clicking on the “Storm Center” link. Safety information is also provided at this page.