THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, August 4, 1994 TAG: 9408040609
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: D2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By TOM SHEAN, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
Virginia's State Corporation Commission ordered Dominion Resources Inc. and its Virginia Power subsidiary Wednesday to provide more information in advance of a hearing on the dismissal of three Virginia Power directors.
In its seven-page order, the SCC also said it will consider whether to treat Richmond-based Dominion as a public service company when it holds the public hearing Aug. 11 in Richmond.
Virginia Power asked the SCC for a temporary injunction last week after Dominion removed directors William W. Berry, James F. Betts and William G. Thomas from Virginia Power's 10-member board.
Dominion justified the dismissals by saying the three were attempting to seize control of Dominion's board of directors.
An attorney for Virginia Power said Wednesday that he was not surprised by the SCC's request for additional information.
``It's just a procedural mechanism to define the scope of the issues,'' said M. Scott Hart, the utility's attorney.
A Dominion attorney also described the SCC's use of a pre-trial order as ``fairly routine.'' But the attorney, James L. Sanderlin, expressed surprise at language in the order addressing the range of the SCC's regulation.
``The commission can tell (a public utility), `These are the rates you can charge, and this is the level of service you have to deliver,' '' said Sanderlin. However, ``It is up to private enterprise to determine how they are going to do that and to choose the managers to do it.''
Dominion has insisted the SCC has no jurisdiction in the company's battle with Virginia Power.
KEYWORDS: VIRGINIA POWER DOMINION RESOURCES INC.
VIRGINIA STATE CORPORATION COMMISSION
by CNB