Dominion Energy flies to Knoxville the week of a South Carolina rate hearing

Dominion Energy flew from Richmond International Airport to McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville on May 14, a 63-minute hop aboard its Gulfstream G450 (N607D). The flight arrives the same week the company faces a public hearing in South Carolina over a proposed rate increase that has drawn opposition from environmental and consumer groups.

A settlement announced May 12 would reduce the average residential rate increase from $19.98 to $11.97 per month and provide $6 million in shareholder funds for customer relief, per a report from WTOC. The South Carolina Public Service Commission is set to weigh the deal after hearings that began this week. Dominion Energy Media Relations Director Rhonda Maree O'Banion said the company listened to customer concerns and that the settlement would keep rates in the state below the national average.

The Knoxville trip follows a pattern of frequent travel between Richmond and the Southeast. Over the past week, N607D has shuttled between Richmond, Atlanta, and the Columbia, South Carolina area — a route consistent with regulatory and operational meetings tied to Dominion Energy's South Carolina electric rate case, which management said on its May 1 earnings call is advancing with a decision expected in late June.