RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 9, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion's EnergyShare program and organizations that provide shelter or housing assistance for the homeless and others in need are benefitting from donations totaling more than $2 million announced today by Dominion Resources, one of the nation's largest energy producers.  The donations are being made to organizations in Virginia, Ohio, West Virginia and 11 other states.

"Dominion wants to help our friends and neighbors who are encountering hardships during the current recession," said Thomas F. Farrell II, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Dominion.  "Housing-related organizations and programs are facing increased demand for their services, while their own budgets are stretched thin. More than $1 million in grants will provide additional resources to help nonprofit organizations assist our communities."

"The true value of these grants is that they will help the recipients save money month after month, producing savings many times the initial grant amount," Farrell said. "We are working to help ensure that safe, warm shelter is available to those in need."

An additional $1 million donation will help EnergyShare assist families in Virginia and North Carolina affected by the recession. EnergyShare is aimed at helping those experiencing a crisis heat their homes after all other forms of assistance have been exhausted.

Donations will assist organizations including homeless shelters, shelters for abused women and programs to provide housing for low-income families.  In many instances, grants will be used to make the shelters or housing units more energy efficient, thereby cutting the operating costs for the recipients.

Recognizing the growing economic hardships faced by many because of the recession, Dominion has refocused its corporate giving on basic human necessities such as food, shelter and medical care. 

In the past two years, the company has made similar donations to food banks, free health clinics, diversity initiatives, environmental efforts and EnergyShare.

The non-EnergyShare grants by state are:

• $625,000 in Virginia;
• $127,500 in Ohio;
• $100,000 in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island;
• $100,000 in West Virginia;
• $50,000 in Pennsylvania;
• $40,000 in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin;
• $25,000 in Maryland;
• $20,000 in North Carolina, and
• $5,000 in Texas.

The grants announced today are made through The Dominion Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Dominion. The Foundation, Dominion and its employees this year will donate millions of dollars and more than 125,000 volunteer hours in programs that help improve the quality of life for people in the states in which the company operates. The donation to EnergyShare is made by Dominion, not by the Foundation.

Dominion (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 27,600 megawatts of generation.  Dominion operates the nation's largest natural gas storage system and serves retail energy customers in 13 states.  For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com.

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SOURCE Dominion Resources, Inc.