Local county leaders unite in opposition to high-voltage power line project

LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — A controversial proposal to run high-voltage power lines through parts of Central Virginia is drawing growing opposition from local leaders. Several counties are coordinating efforts to push back against the plan in a unified summit.

The Joshua Falls to Yeat Transmission Line Project is a $1 billion proposal, that that looks to strengthen the electricity infrastructure. It would span 115-miles from through nine counties including Louisa, Orange, Culpeper, Spotsylvania, Goochland, Fluvanna, Buckingham, Appomattox and Campbell County.

According to Valley Link, the project is designed to support Virginia’s increasing energy demand, and is in partnership with Dominion Energy and Transource.

Public meetings in recent weeks have drawn crowds in Louisa County, where residents spoke against the proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line. Neighbors have cited concerns with the destruction of rural character, health-related implications, noise pollution and property devaluation.

"They’re very concerned about the negative impact that this transmission line is going to have on Louisa County,” said Louisa County Board of Supervisors Chairman Duane A. Adams.

Adams added that school officials are also raising concerns about the proximity of the project.

“Our school board is concerned that one of the proposed routes goes within 900 feet of our high school and middle school complex,” he said. “And I think those concerns are valid. We don’t know the health risk.”

Similar opposition has emerged across the other counties in the project’s path.

In response, Adams organized a summit with leaders from the potentially impacted localities. He said the goal is to amplify residents’ concerns and present a unified front.

“I think that we’re stronger as a group acting collectively than we are as nine individual counties going in nine different directions,” Adams said.

Louisa County supervisors formally opposed the project last month in a Resolution of Opposition filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Adams has since sent a letter to neighboring localities, inviting them to participate in the summit and discuss next steps.

While Adams acknowledged the need to strengthen Virginia’s power grid, he questioned aspects of the project’s planning and execution.

“Why are we having the electric generation hundreds of miles away from northern Virginia, where this is going to be served?” Adams said. “Why aren’t you burying the line? You’re burying the line in Loudoun. Those things can be done, and those things need to be answered.”

According to Valley Link’s website, underground construction is not considered a practical option for the project due to the high voltage of the transmission lines.

Adams also called on state lawmakers to take a more active role in the conversation.

“I would like to see our state legislators get more involved, more vocal, because they represent the same people that we represent," Adams said. "And to date, quite frankly, they’ve been pretty silent, and I think it’s time for them to step up to the plate and represent the concerns of their constituents.”

He added that while Valley Link has indicated it is considering changes to the project, those adjustments may not go far enough.

“What they’re saying is we do hear and we are trying to make modifications,” Adams said. “I just want to make sure that the modifications are major modifications, not minor modifications,"

Adams said the summit will focus on how counties can coordinate their opposition, including through zoning, comprehensive plans and potential legal action. Still, he acknowledged the outcome remains uncertain.

“Will we win at the end of the day? I don’t know,” he said. “But what I do know is if we don’t fight and if we don’t fight with a unified voice, we won’t win. We don’t stand a chance of winning.”

Adams said the process will likely be lengthy and urged residents to stay engaged.

“This is not going to be easy,” he said. “We’re going to be in this fight with our citizens right to the end, and we’re going to support them. We’re going to use every means available to us to recognize these concerns, amplify their voices, and take this fight right to where it needs to go.”

The summit will be closed to the public, but Adams said officials plan to release a statement following the meeting.

Valley Link has held several informational meetings to gather feedback from residents in the impacted areas. The company plans to select a preferred route in September, that'll be presented to the SCC.