[Loudoun Times Mirror] Residents Fight Dominion Energy Transmission Line Project
Residents of Loudoun Valley Estates are mustering resistance against a transmission line project Dominion has proposed for 230-kilovolt and 500-kilovolt electrical lines in Sterling. On April 9th, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) approved the project route, which would span 8.3 miles – crossing the Broad Run Stream Valley and two schools in Loudoun Valley Estates.
Homeowners from Loudoun Valley Estates voiced concerns about their property values decreasing, as the project would require felling hundreds of trees and could contaminate the neighboring streams to build monopoles nearly 200 feet high in their backyards. Residents have offered a counterproposal to bury the transmission lines. However, a spokesperson for Dominion has stated that burying the lines would make the $402 million project up to ten times more expensive due to more difficult blasting requirements and more right of way required from more state and federal entities. Regardless, Loudoun Valley Estates filed a “petition for reconsideration” with the SCC on April 29th and are lobbying LCPS and other elected officials to oppose the project.
Loudoun Valley Estates Homeowners Association President Victor Block stated that politicians are taking up the fight against Dominion constructing overhead powerlines. He referenced a law sponsored by Del. JJ Singh (D-Loudoun) and Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-Loudoun) that establishes a pilot program exploring the feasibility for underground lines and argued Dominion’s reluctance to pursue underground lines for the project running through Loudoun Valley Estates is evidence of the utility putting profits before people. Further, Lauren Lillestolen of the Coalition to Protect the Broad Run Stream Valley argued that Dominion deliberately avoided burying the transmission lines by manipulating the timeline for the project’s approval, citing a statement from SCC staff. Dominion has denied the accusation, stating that they did consider underground lines for the project but that the SCC also found the option to be unfeasible for reasons beyond increased costs and delays.
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