12-Mile Overhead Power Line Approved

By LoudounExtra.com staff

Friday, February 15, 2008

In an order issued Friday, the state body that regulates power lines approved the overhead construction of a 12-mile power line sought by Dominion Virginia Power.

The 230-kilovolt transmission line will run between the Pleasant View substation and a proposed Hamilton substation, the State Corporation Commission said.

The commission said the new transmission line should follow the "Modified D" route, which was recommended by an SCC hearing examiner. That 12-mile path runs through southern Leesburg and along parts of the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.

An SCC hearing examiner, Howard P. Anderson Jr., argued in November that the line should be carried overhead, in part via steel towers that would be more than 140 feet tall, because burying parts of it would be significantly more expensive and would uproot vegetation.

Opponents of putting the line above ground say it would be an eyesore and lower property values.

In Friday's order, the commission said, "No route can eliminate all adverse impacts." The order goes on to say the route minimizes "adverse impact on scenic assets, historic districts, and environments of areas concerned, and results in fewer adverse impacts than other proposed routes."

The SCC has found that the new transmission line is needed to serve the growing electricity demands in western Loudoun. The SCC said the line will be built on single-shaft poles "placed as far away from residences as possible."

The poles will be located on existing right-of-way owned by Dominion and the Virginia Department of Transportation wherever possible, according to the SCC.

The line is expected to be functioning by Jan. 1, 2011.

Tagged: Dominion , growth, power line

Your Thoughts...

Are you happy that the school year is over?