By Jonathan Mummolo
Originally published at 10:19 a.m., November 29, 2007
Updated at 10:09 p.m., November 30, 2007
A hearing examiner for the state body that regulates power lines recommended last week for the second time that a proposed line between Leesburg and Hamilton be installed above ground, despite opposition from local officials and residents who say it would be an eyesore and lower property values.
Howard P. Anderson Jr., the hearing examiner for the State Corporation Commission , also reaffirmed his recommendation that the 230,000-volt Dominion Virginia Power line follow the Modified D route — a 12-mile path through southern Leesburg and along parts of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.
Anderson wrote that this route was superior to two others under consideration because it would provide “a line of minimal length with maximum use of existing right-of-way,” thereby minimizing the project’s cost and the disruption to scenery.
He argued that the line should be carried overhead, in part via steel towers that would be over 140 feet tall, because burying parts of it would be significantly more expensive and would uproot vegetation.
In his first recommendation, issued in January, Anderson had favored the Modified D route and rejected the option of burying the cables. In February, the commission ruled that the transmission line was needed but ordered Anderson to gather more information on the cost and logistics of the three possible routes, as well as the feasibility of undergrounding.
According to Anderson’s second report, filed Wednesday, a Dominion representative estimated the cost of an above-ground line on the Modified D route at $37.8 million and said that “hybrid” plans — a mix of above- and below-ground sections — along the same route would cost $60 million to $65 million. Anderson wrote that “the locality has not offered to bear any of the incremental cost, as permitted by Virginia law.”
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Proponents of undergrounding criticized the report but said the fight is not over yet, noting that it is ultimately up to the commission to decide on a plan.
“I would much prefer [a recommendation] that would put it underground, but the situation is not at its end,” said Del. Joe T. May (R-Loudoun), who has been vocal in his support of undergrounding.
May has traveled to Europe, accompanied by Dominion representatives, and said that utility companies there have found cheap and efficient ways of burying power lines. He is working on legislation for the next General Assembly session that would set guidelines for the SCC to follow when deciding whether lines should be above or below ground.
He said the Loudoun line could be buried at a lower cost than the estimate given in Anderson’s report. Though landscapes are disrupted during construction, vegetation can be replaced at a minimal expense, May said.
“It has to be grassed over,” he said. “It’s a relatively minor consideration in terms of overall cost. The real cost is the hardware and, of course, the real estate.”
Patrick Sloyan Sr., a Paeonian Springs resident and active opponent of overhead lines, was less optimistic than May about the commission’s ultimate decision.
“The state legislature controls the SCC. The state legislature’s major contributor is [Dominion] Virginia Power. So they’re going to get power lines one way or the other,” Sloyan said.
Overhead lines “will destroy the natural beauty of these locations,” he said. “Undergrounding would have cost less than the line [Anderson is] recommending. It would have cost less because it would have been instantly immune from power outages, which are very costly.”
A Dominion spokeswoman said the utility was satisfied with Anderson’s recommendation because it has concluded that underground lines are more expensive to build and more difficult to maintain.
“There are problems with underground technology that make it difficult to identify where a problem is if there’s a fault with an underground line,” said spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson (no relation to the hearing examiner).
She said that after going to Europe to study its undergrounding techniques, Dominion officials concluded that safety standards in some cases were lower than in the United States, which could account for the cost savings.
She added that the power line is needed to service the rapidly growing communities of western Loudoun.
A 21-day written comment period began on Wednesday for involved parties to give opinions on Anderson’s report. After that, the commission will render a final decision on the fate of the line, though there is no set timetable for that ruling.
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