Power transmission lines. (Photo by Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury)
All year, the residents of the Loudoun Valley Estates neighborhoods in Ashburn have been railing against a proposed high-voltage power line that could run through their community to energize dozens of data centers on the other side of town. On Monday, they spelled out their concerns to state regulators in Richmond.
Dominion Energy said the project is a critical piece of energy infrastructure necessary to power the energy-hungry data centers. The case has been framed as a major test of how rising data center power needs can impact developed areas as the industry continues to grow.
The public testimony portion of the State Corporation Commission hearing began Monday, with over 1000 written statements submitted and more than 500 people registered to speak. The evidentiary portion of the hearing is expected to be scheduled in the new year and a final decision about the power line will be made after that.
The case
The transmission line will connect two substations named Golden and Mars. It is part of the so-called reliability loop of power to bring more energy to data centers on the eastern side of Ashburn. Two other lines in the loop have already been approved and are either already under construction or will be soon.
The 165 foot, 500 kilovolt lines require a wide berth from trees and community members have expressed concerns about the lines’ potential health effects on those living below them.
There are five proposed routes for the power lines that snake around the two Loudoun Valley Estates communities. Dominion has stated previously that route 3 is their top choice. However, that path runs along the properties of Rock Ridge High School and Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School. The Loudoun County School Board voted against routes 3 and 4 – recommending that the power lines be buried if those routes were to be considered.
Following that vote, route 3a was created, which moved the power lines up the hill behind the high school. But that brought the lines right into the backyard of multiple households and has sparked widespread public pushback. The county has also spoken against route 1 that would run along Loudoun County Parkway, stating it would not align with the county’s plan for the look of the area.
Dominion said the Golden-Mars line is the final piece of the puzzle in the reliability loop. If it is not powered on by 2028, the utility said, there could be damage to existing infrastructure and potential fines brought down by the regional grid operator PJM.
Community opposition
All of the proposed routes butt up against residential neighborhoods. The 3a route has drawn significant concern for Vicky Hu, a resident of Loudoun Valley Estates whose backyard would be the location of one of the 165 foot tall power poles if that route is chosen. She said she lives in fear of her home losing significant value and of the potential impacts on her and her neighbors’ quality of life should a power line of that magnitude tower over her home.
“So why should we accept the high voltage power line? It doesn’t give power to our house, right?” Hu said. “I just don’t understand. How can they even propose this power line that cuts through the neighborhood?”
It should be noted that Democrats like Mike Turner as Supervisor and Suhas Subramanyam have been approving the data centers for more than a decade.
If the residents didn’t want data centers or powerlines, they should have demanded the democrats to stop approving them.
The debate over this project has drawn the attention of state lawmakers and U.S. Rep. Suhas Subramanyam, D-Loudoun, who have spoken out against the impacts these power lines could have on the surrounding residents. The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors shared their support of burying portions of the powerlines that come within 500 feet of residential areas and schools.
“While Loudoun County has no role in determining whether transmission lines are above or below ground, we do have a voice,” Chairman At-Large Phyllis J. Randall said in a statement. “An alternative is possible and must be considered to assure any impact on our schools and residential communities is mitigated to the extent possible.”
Dominion conducted a feasibility study into the potential burial of the lines. They found that there is not enough space for the location of the entry points into the ground and there are challenges with water usage and other issues. Currently, Virginia does not have lines of this voltage buried. But Loudoun County engineer Brian Conroy believes it can be done and argues the potential in his testimony filed with the SCC.
Before authorities make a final call, Hu and other neighbors are drawing attention to what they say is an unfair and unhealthy plan.
“This is an environmental injustice, because you got this big corporation coming in saying we want to go through your backyard,” Hu said.
Once public testimony wraps up, the parties in the case will set a date for a hearing to present their opening arguments.
