By Shannon Heckt
Virginia Mercury
Valley Link Transmission has released a new set of potential routes for the controversial project ahead of the first public meetings across the nine-county region that may be impacted by the 765 kilovolt, 115-mile transmission line.
The power line will stretch from just outside of Lynchburg to Culpeper County. Dominion Energy, Transource, and FirstEnergy are developing the line to help move power from the Ohio River Valley to Northern Virginia, where major energy demands are spiking.
The Valley Link project was identified by PJM, the regional grid operator for 13 states and Washington, D.C., as crucial to maintain grid reliability.
Since the project was unveiled, residents across Campbell, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Louisa, Orange, Goochland, Spotsylvania, and Culpeper counties have sounded off about the potential impacts the project will have on the environment and historic preservation of certain sensitive locations, including Civil War battlefields.
Valley Link refined the routes through the public feedback from the initial hearings about the project. The final route for the power line will be determined by the State Corporation Commission.
The new routes will reportedly reduce the number of residences that come within 500 feet of the corridor to 75. There are no homes that come within 150 feet of the route. Developers also considered wetlands, environmental resources, recreational areas, conservation easements, and historical and architectural resources.
Residents along the route have also voiced concerns about possible future energy infrastructure construction, since the transmission line is meant to act as highway with on and off ramps to hook up other energy projects.
“Property owners along the refined routes are now receiving letters about the route updates and have been invited to a second round of open houses in June. We look forward to sharing the refined routes in person and continuing our dialogue with the communities we serve,” a Valley Link representative said in a statement Monday.
Even with the newly proposed routes, environmental groups and residents said they are wary.
“The potential impacts are enormous. Over 2,600 acres of land that is currently forested, farmed, providing critical wildlife habitat and contributing to the rural economy and character of the region would be cleared and converted to utility right-of-way,” the Piedmont Environmental Council said in a statement. “Tens of thousands of acres more along the line are likely to face pressure for new development.”
The first community meeting will be June 10 in Orange County at the Orange County High School, and may be attended in person. Additional community meetings will be held in the coming months in various locations near the proposed routes; you may find the full list here.