A Community Charged in Controversy: Voices Raised Over Dominion Energy’s New Proposed Route

As newly proposed transmission line route 3A was brought to the community’s attention, frustrated residents have united together to oppose all overhead powerlines.

Rachel Bhardwaj

Community members gather together at the September 13th power line rally, wearing shirts that read “No Power Lines Near Homes.”

Sanvi Challa, Arnav Mahajan, Samantha Chang, and Rachel Bhardwaj • September 17, 2025

As the fight against Dominion Energy’s powerline project escalates, the Loudoun County community continues to speak out against the Golden to Mars Electric Transmission Project, a project designed to complete a transmission loop intended to power the data centers of Loudoun County.

Since the school board rejected route 3, recently proposed Route 3A has sparked backlash from Loudoun County residents as it’s not only located near Rock Ridge High School and Rosa Lee Carter Elementary, but it also directly cuts through some residents’ own backyards.

On Saturday, Sept. 13, residents, HOA council members, politicians, and school board members rallied together as one to oppose all overhead power lines. The rally, which dozens of people attended, featured key speakers and provided a way for residents to connect with one another and expand outreach.

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About the Contributors

Sanvi Challa, Staff Writer

Sanvi Challa is a junior this year, starting her first year on The Blaze staff. She is very passionate about writing and hopes to eventually publish her own book. She enjoys the thrill of tennis and has been part of the girl’s tennis team since she was a freshman. Alongside being a tennis player, she started Care4Kiddos and American Cancer Society club with her friend where they do fundraisers and volunteer to bring attention to both domestic violence and cancer. She plans on going into the medical field and getting her PhD in psychology. She is excited to have time in her schedule for Newspaper this year, and she looks forward to writing investigative and impactful news pieces to push more diverse writing.

Arnav Mahajan, Arts & Entertainment Editor

Arnav Mahajan is a sophomore and it’s his second year on the newspaper staff. He joined the newspaper because he has a strong passion for writing, which he uses to express himself. His main style of writing is argument and opinion-based pieces. He’s looking forward to getting good work done and meeting the rest of the staff. When he’s not writing, he enjoys playing sports and video games, especially puzzle-based ones. He’s so excited to be part of the staff this year.

Samantha Chang, Multimedia Editor

Samantha Chang is a junior and in her third year on staff along with being a co-podcast editor for The Blaze this year. Currently, she is looking forward to helping the new staffers and spreading the knowledge about Newspaper, including the podcast and video section. Furthermore, this year she wants to get the multimedia SNO badge and push for more video and audio pieces. Other than The Blaze she is very interested in politics and wants to join a club relating to that. She also dreams to also be a criminal prosecutor and help promote women rights. On any day, you can find her at the Rock Ridge Lit Mag or drawing pictures and expressing her artistic ability.

Rachel Bhardwaj, Staff Writer

Rachel Bhardwaj is a second year staff writer on the Rock Ridge Blaze who likes drawing, sketching and singing when she’s not doing hip hop dancing. She hopes to join DECA and Debate and more clubs as the year goes by. Her goal for the year is to learn more about visual media and create more visual media. She joined this class because she likes writing about her opinions and expressing her thoughts . Outside of class she wants to pass junior year and hopefully pass her AP exams and the SAT. She also started tutoring sessions for K-5 students to get ready for the year.

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A Community Charged in Controversy: Voices Raised Over Dominion Energy’s New Proposed Route

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