FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/14/26
Media Contact
Adam Sledd, Executive Director
(804) 677-3885
Dominion Energy Innovation Center Awarded GO Virginia Funding for Strategic Cluster Advancement for Leading Energy (SCALE) Project
Funding will support work to identify and understand energy innovation opportunities in GO Virginia Regions 4 and 5
Ashland, VA – The Dominion Energy Innovation Center (DEIC) has been awarded $154,391 in GO Virginia funding to study and catalyze advanced energy supply chains through a new project, Strategic Cluster Advancement for Leading Energy, or SCALE. The project is designed to build toward a focused hub for advanced electrical power systems and grid technologies in GO Virginia Regions 4 and 5, which cover much of eastern Virginia, including the Greater Richmond region, the Tri-Cities, and Hampton Roads.
This initial funding will support three key initiatives: completing a market and feasibility study around related innovation in the regions; developing a new Energy Soft Landing Site in Region 4 at the DEIC and supporting the Energy Soft Landing Site at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s Secure Energy Future Center in Region 5; and creating a cross-regional Energy Growth Council which will bring together industry leadership, economic developers, investors, and power component suppliers.
Adam Sledd, DEIC’s Executive Director, stated “Over the past five years, we have worked to strengthen the energy innovation ecosystem across the Commonwealth, and GO Virginia funding will allow us to continue this work. Through SCALE, we will identify trends and markets that make Virginia competitive in power system manufacturing and deployment, provide a forum for stakeholders to engage and interact, and offer on-the-ground support for firms. Our partners’ investment in the project proves that this work is necessary and important, and we are pleased to lead the effort.”
Matt Smith, Director of Energy and Emerging Technology at key partner Hampton Roads Alliance added, “As we lean into energy as one of our regional priorities, it’s critical to understand where to focus our efforts. The SCALE project will help us gain a better understanding of opportunities, existing assets, and industry sectors to target. We’re looking forward to working with DEIC to strengthen Virginia’s position in the energy sector.”
Nate Frost, Dominion Energy’s Vice President – New Business & Customer Solutions, shared “As a significant buyer of advanced power systems components, it is critical for Dominion Energy to have ready access to innovative products and services. Supporting SCALE and participating in the Energy Growth Council will allow us to not only share what our organization needs, but also identify up-and-coming technologies that will allow Dominion Energy to better serve our customers.”
The SCALE project is a multi-region project for GO Virginia, including support from both GO Virginia Region 4 and GO Virginia Region 5. As CEO of GROW Capital Jobs Foundation, Region 4’s Wilson Flohr shared, “The long-term objective of the SCALE project is to grow the energy cluster across the Greater Richmond, Tri-Cities, and Hampton Roads areas, and we believe this preliminary work will ensure this growth will occur.” Nancy Grden, President and CEO of the Hampton Roads Executive Roundtable and leader of GO Virginia Region 5’s support organization, stated “We are always seeking projects that build from Hampton Roads key industry clusters, partner across Regions, and align successful partners. SCALE is a perfect example. We are pleased to join with Region 4 to fund this energy innovation initiative.”
Partners in and supporters of the project include Hampton Roads Alliance, Dominion Energy, Hanover County, the Town of Ashland, the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center’s Secure Energy Future Center, Virginia’s Gateway Region, PlanRVA, the Virginia Clean Energy Innovation Bank, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, and Old Dominion Electric Cooperative.
If interested in participating on the Energy Growth Council or learning more about the project’s research, contact Braden Croy at braden@dominnovation.com.
About the Dominion Energy Innovation Center
The Dominion Energy Innovation Center is a hub for entrepreneurial growth and innovation in Ashland, Virginia. Founded in November 2009 as a non-profit public-private partnership, the DEIC accelerates great ideas across a wide spectrum of industry sectors in addition to its focus on building the clean technology sector in Virginia. Founding partners of the Center include the signature sponsor, Dominion Energy, as well as Activation Capital, the Town of Ashland, and Hanover County.
The DEIC has been at the forefront of supporting clean energy initiatives through programs such as SPARK Virginia, DEIC Accelerate, Hyperscaled, and the Greentech Network. With over 2,000 member-innovators and 60 accelerator alumni companies that have raised over $719 million in capital and created over 700 jobs, DEIC is nurturing a thriving community dedicated to driving tomorrow’s energy solutions.
For more information, visit www.dominnovation.com.