(The Center Square) – Valley Link Transmission has released revised route options for its proposed 115-mile power line through Central Virginia after reviewing more than 2,000 public comments and approximately 15,000 miles of routing alternatives.
Craig Carper, speaking for Valley Link, said the updated Joshua Falls-to-Yeat corridors are refined versions of the routes first released in February and will continue to evolve ahead of a planned State Corporation Commission filing this fall.
“We had great engagement from the public,” Carper said. “We received more than 2,000 public comments and made hundreds of changes as a result.”
The broader project spans nine counties, though the revised corridor options released last week no longer include portions of Spotsylvania County shown in earlier maps.
The current revised routes run through Campbell, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Louisa, Orange, Goochland and Culpeper counties.
Valley Link is a partnership involving Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy Transmission and Transource Energy, a joint venture tied to Appalachian Power and Energy.
The proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line is intended to address growing electricity demand across the region. Company officials have cited population growth, electrification and data center expansion as factors driving the need for new transmission infrastructure.
According to Valley Link, fewer than 75 homes along the entire 115-mile corridor are within 500 feet of the revised routes.
The transmission line route would require a roughly 200-foot right-of-way with towers ranging from about 135 to 160 feet tall.
Local officials in several counties have continued raising concerns about property impacts, farmland and proximity to schools.
Louisa, Goochland and Buckingham counties each authorized up to $250,000 for legal and advocacy efforts tied to opposition to the project.
In May, Culpeper, Fluvanna, Goochland, Louisa and Orange counties jointly filed with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission seeking what Fluvanna County described as “a seat at the table and the right to be heard” in PJM transmission planning proceedings.
County officials said the filing “does not challenge any specific transmission line or power plant.”
Final approval authority for large transmission lines in Virginia rests with the State Corporation Commission rather than local governments.
Valley Link plans to hold additional public meetings this month, including a June 23 open house in Louisa County and a virtual meeting scheduled for June 10.
The company has said it hopes to energize the transmission line by late 2029.