SOUTH RIDING, Va. — Loudoun County residents packed the auditorium at Freedom High School on Thursday night to discuss plans for a new set of power transmission lines.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission held the hearing as it decides whether to give the project the green light.
The high-voltage lines are needed for a new data center which is being constructed off of Route 50 near Dulles Airport. Dominion Power is required by law to make power available because the company building the center says it’s needed.
One by one, residents shared their concerns, which ranged from health risks to fears about a negative economic impact the tall power poles could have on the area.
“I don’t want to have something that will [degrade] our home value,” said Gwenn Hess, of Stone Ridge.
There were also concerns the poles would be an eyesore in the area and would create unnecessary risk for emergency helicopters that land at hospitals along the road.
“We are for development; we are for business, we welcome businesses in our area, but everything has its limits,” said Virginia Del. David Ramadan.
There are several options on the table for the four-mile stretch of 230kv lines, which will run on poles that reach 110 feet into the air. Dominion Power suggests the lines run down Route 50 to a substation proposed for Poland Road.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors has also provided several alternative routes for Dominion to consider, and several speakers voiced their support for some of those plans.
“An alternative route is a fiscally sound decision for Dominion Power, for the SCC, for Loudoun and for the state of Virginia,” said Jeff Morris, of South Riding.
Loudoun County Supervisor Janet Clark, R–Blue Ridge, said there is already enough power at the data center site to run two data centers and claims the new transmission lines would allow for four data centers to operate.
Clarke’s testimony got the attention of Michael Thomas, the SCC representative conducting the hearing, who said the application he is examining is for only one data center.
Chuck Penn, with Dominion Virginia, says the power provider plans to listen to the community.
“We have the utmost respect for the residents in that area and realize that living in the community; they have financial and emotional attachment to their community.” Penn said.
At the same time, he added, it is the company’s responsibility to ensure it has sufficient power capacity to meet the power demands of its customers.
This was the final hearing on the topic this year. The next hearing is scheduled for next Feb. 2 in Richmond.
