BRIDGEPORT, W.Va., April 11, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion Transmission Inc.'s new office building in the White Oaks Business Complex has attained Gold status under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program, the first privately owned building in West Virginia to achieve such status.

The LEED program is an internationally recognized green building certification system that provides third-party verification that a building is constructed in a environmentally sustainable manner. LEED measures energy savings, water efficiency, carbon emissions reduction, improved indoor air quality and stewardship of resources.

The announcement was made today by DTI and The Thrasher Group of Bridgeport, which designed the four-story, 106,000-square-foot office building. March-Westin of Morgantown constructed the building while evolveEA of Pittsburgh served as the sustainability consultant.

Among the new building highlights are:

• 90 percent of building occupants have access to outside views from workspace.
• 82 percent of construction waste was recycled and diverted from landfill.
• 70 percent of two-year building electricity usage purchased with green power renewable energy credits.
• 36 percent designed reduction in water use by installing efficient water toilets, urinals, lavatory faucets, showers and kitchen sinks.
• 31 percent designed energy cost savings.
• 30 percent of cost used for recycled materials.
• Raised desk option allows employees to sit or stand while working.
• Reflective roof to reduce heat absorption.
• Low-emitting adhesives, sealants, paints and furniture.
• Green cleaning program.

"The LEED Gold designation affirms our commitment to providing a safe, healthy and engaging environment for our employees and at the same time being environmentally responsible and sustainable," said Brian Sheppard, vice president-Pipeline Operations for Dominion Transmission. "The new building also is an investment in the future for Dominion to retain and attract employees long-term."

"We are extremely proud to have achieved LEED Gold certification on this facility," said Craig Baker, principal-in-charge of Architecture at the Thrasher Group. "Working closely with Dominion, together we set a goal of designing an energy efficient and environmentally friendly facility, that would reduce the building's overall carbon footprint. The end result is a testament to the collaborative effort of all team members involved. We couldn't have done it without the creativity and dedication to sustainability from Dominion Transmission, March Westin and evolveEA."

Dominion (NYSE: D) is one of the nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a portfolio of approximately 24,300 megawatts of generation, 12,200 miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline, and 6,500 miles of electric transmission lines.  Dominion operates one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 933 billion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than five million utility and retail energy customers in 14 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's website at www.dom.com .

Founded in 1983, Thrasher is a leading multidisciplinary engineering and architectural firm serving public and private clientele throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region.  With more than 350 employees in five states, Thrasher is committed to providing innovative solutions to our clients' challenges. For more information regarding Thrasher, visit the company's website at www.thrashereng.com.

SOURCE Dominion