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On Sept. 18, the State Corporation Commission (SCC) held a public hearing at Rock Ridge High School to allow residents to voice their concerns about Dominion Energy’s proposed Golden to Mars 500-230 kV electric transmission line project, a project intended to connect the Golden and Mars substations in the Ashburn area. The event resembled a courtroom-style hearing, in which each resident had up to five minutes to testify as a public witness to the SCC.
The power line proposal includes five routes which cut through neighborhoods, residential areas, and schools. However, with the rejection of route three by the Loudoun County School Board, Dominion has proposed route 3A as an alternative. This proposal, however, was met with resistance by local residents, who were dissatisfied by each proposed route.
Forty concerned community members delivered emotionally charged speeches in hopes that the SCC would reject the overhead routes that Dominion Energy wants to build. According to Greg Weatherford, the Deputy Director of the Information Resources Division of the SCC, the commissioners’ job is to be a neutral party in the conflict. “Most of the people that we are going to hear tonight will have different opinions,” he said. “The rule of the commission here is to listen to the public’s point of view and to use that as part of the testimony, so they can make a decision knowing what people say.”
Residents raised specific concerns about declining property values, health risks, and the proximity of the power lines to heavily populated areas. Many politicians, like District 32 Senator Kannan Srinivasan, also shared their views. “[Needing energy for data centers] is understandable, but that does not mean you can trade that off with safety and the security and the health of the community,” Srinivasan said.
Congressman Suhas Subramanyam, representing Virginia’s 10th Congressional District, who also spoke at the hearing, shared similar worries. “Property values are going to go down, utility bills are going to go up as a result,” Subramanyam said. “I think there’s a huge issue when it comes to putting these lines through communities, whether it’s schools or commercial or residential properties. I will ask here, as a resident in Ashburn, that you consider listening to the people here today. Look at the crowd. Look how large it is today. I should show you that if we’re going to fill a high school auditorium, that this matters not just to the residents here but our kids and their grandkids who want to make their home long term.”
Adults and homeowners weren’t the only ones who spoke to the commissioners. Rock Ridge students shared their concerns as well. Sophomore Anvita Gandhari expressed her worries regarding the proposed power lines being so close to her neighborhood and school. “These power lines shouldn’t be placed in the middle of communities that thousands of families live in,” Gandhari said. “If 185 foot transmission lines are built along Loudon County Parkway, who would ever feel safe or comfortable walking under them? Imagine the LV2 entrance overshadowed by huge towers. It would completely change the character of our community.” Additionally, Gandhari created a petition with over 1,200 signatures, which she gave to the SCC as an exhibit for them to review.
Rock Ridge’s voice wasn’t limited to students. Business teacher Michael Canfield, a local homeowner affected by the power line proposal, also testified during the hearing. “To add insult to injury, Dominion is bringing this as a resilience project to benefit all electrical users,” Canfield said. “We, private citizens, should not be the victims of corporate greed or problems. Commissioners, take a moment and think of your homes. These are places that undoubtedly are a place where you find peace and refuge from the world.”
Concerned middle school students also spoke out against the proposed project. Eighth grader Alina Pak addressed the SCC, sharing her concerns about her health if the proposed Route 3A power line were to be built in her backyard. “My grandpa has cancer, so I’ve seen what it’s like for someone to suffer and just try to stay alive,” Pak said. “ I don’t want to get sick one day because of something dangerous, which I never asked for, being put in my backyard. I don’t want to go through that, and I’m sure no one does.”
Support wasn’t received from only Virginia, however, with Pennsylvania’s District 117 representative Jamie Walsh speaking as well. “They actually had the audacity to put data centers and 500 KV lines around Tippets Hill cemetery,” Walsh said. “If you’re not from this area, it is a slavery cemetery. This is the level of low these people have when they’re thinking about our communities.”
While the residents held different opinions on which route was the worst for them, they all held the belief that Dominion Energy needed to fully or partially underground the power lines, even with Dominion Energy’s claims about the infeasibility of undergrounding due to expenses and infrastructure issues. “[Undergrounding] has been done in California, and it can be done here,” Srinivasan said. “I continue to do my research [on alternatives].”
Although Dominion Energy did have representatives in attendance, they didn’t comment during the hearing. However, as The Blaze previously reported, Dominion feels it has adequately addressed the concerns of the community. The Electric Transmission Communications Consultant Robert Richardson told The Blaze on Sept. 16, “Our goal for any electric transmission project is to provide meaningful involvement to those who might be impacted by this project, and we feel we’ve accomplished that. Residents who live close to this project have received four letters and postcards, and we’ve invited residents to seven community meetings to meet with our project team and listen to their concerns. And, we’ll continue to answer questions from neighbors until this project is complete.”
With many people still scheduled to speak, the remaining speakers will voice their concerns at the next SCC hearing that will take place on Sept. 29 at Rock Ridge High School.
