Louisa files opposition to $1 billion high-voltage power line project
VENN
LOUISA COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- Louisa County officials have filed a Resolution of Opposition with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to oppose a proposed $1 billion power line project planned for Central Virginia.
In a press release shared by Louisa County on Friday, March 20, the county filed a Resolution of Opposition against the roughly $1 billion project that spans more than 100 miles from Culpeper to Campbell County.
The filing with the FERC is related to a proposed rule that would accelerate large-scale energy generation projects and influence transmission infrastructure across the region.
The proposal aims to establish an expedited interconnection track, which would allow up to 10 large generation projects annually, each at least 250 megawatts, to move through the interconnection process on a "significantly shortened timeline." This would mean reducing approval time from several years to about 10 months, officials said.
According to a release, the proposal would address rapidly increasing electricity demand, though community members previously voiced concerns about the Joshua Falls to Yeat Transmission Line Project during a heated board of supervisors meeting on March 2 that ended with a resident being removed from the building.
During the meeting, residents cited destruction of rural character, health-related implications, noise pollution and property devaluation.
The county board of supervisors then voted unanimously on Monday, March 16, to approve a resolution strongly opposing the proposed project.
Officials expressed concern about the broader implications of accelerating these approvals without "sufficient consideration of downstream impacts," per a release.
The county said projects such as the proposed transmission lines will be reviewed and decided upon by the Virginia State Corporation Commission, though the county emphasizes that those projects rely on regional planning determinations that begin through processes currently reviewed by the FERC.
"In its opposition, Louisa County leadership emphasized that decisions made at the federal level today could influence how quickly such projects advance, where they are located, and how associated costs are distributed among ratepayers," county officials wrote in the release.
Louisa residents can still provide input directly to the FERC before a decision is made, with public comments due by 5 p.m. Friday, per a release.
For information on how to submit comments, county officials urge residents to visit the FERC eFiling system and Docket ER26-1563-000.
8News reached out to Valley Link for a statement, but has not yet heard back as of the time of reporting.
