Tom Farrell, 66, former Dominion chairman
Richond, Va. (AP) — Tom Farrell, who led Dominion Energy for more than a decade and was a powerful force in Virginia business and politics, died April 2, one day after stepping down from his post as the company’s executive chairman. He was 66.
A news release from the utility said Farrell, who served as the company’s chairman, president and chief executive officer from 2007 to 2020, had been battling cancer, which took a sudden turn in recent weeks.
“Tom was a peerless mentor and outstanding leader who sought to find innovative solutions to challenges at Dominion Energy, in the utility industry and in the community he called home,” said Robert M. Blue, who succeeded Farrell as board chairman. “In his tenure at the company, Tom oversaw an era of prosperity and growth, and a long-term transformation that will have a lasting impact on clean energy development and on the health of the environment.”
Farrell spent more than 15 years practicing law before joining Dominion Energy as general counsel in 1995. Over the next nine years, he served in several senior management positions at the company. Farrell was named president and chief operating officer in 2004, and president and chief executive officer in 2006. He was elected chairman in 2007, a post he held until Thursday.
The company said in its news release that Farrell helped lead the utility’s acquisition of Consolidated Natural Gas in 2000. Farrell in recent years also focused on building solar and wind energy facilities and working toward emissions with a commitment to net zero emissions.
Dominion serves 7 million customers in 16 states and is a Fortune 500 company based in Richmond, Va.
In 2014, the company partnered with Duke Energy to launch the Atlantic Coast Pipeline project, a 600-mile natural gas pipeline designed to cross West Virginia and Virginia into North Carolina. The massive infrastructure project drew fierce opposition from many landowners, activists and environmental advocates, who said it would damage pristine landscapes and harm wildlife.
Dominion canceled the $8 billion project last July, as legal battles had mounted, construction fell behind schedule and the cost had ballooned. Opponents questioned whether there was sufficient need for the gas it would carry and said it would further encourage the use of a fossil fuel at a time when climate change makes a shift to renewable energy imperative.
Gov. Ralph Northam said Farrell set the standard for business leaders serving the community.
“He was devoted to his faith and family above all, and his quiet, calm work made Virginia better. My thoughts are with Anne, Peter, Stuart, and all who loved him,” Northam said.