The Virginia agency that oversees utilities in the commonwealth has detailed a plan for Dominion Energy鈥檚 controversial Golden to Mars transmission line in Loudoun County, an outcome the group described as inferior but necessary because the school board there still hasn鈥檛 weighed in.
The project, which is expected to feature 230 and 500-kilovolt lines, aims to 鈥渒eep electricity reliable in your community,鈥� according to Dominion鈥檚 website.
In April, Virginia鈥檚 State Corporation Commission selected what鈥檚 called Route 4, a path for the line that would have been near Rock Ridge High and Rosa Lee Carter Elementary schools. School board approval would have been required for that option but hasn鈥檛 been provided.
Instead, on Monday, the state agency said the path would be the one that proceeds. However, Loudoun鈥檚 school board recently accepted land donated from the Loudoun Valley Estates homeowner鈥檚 association, meaning Route 3A also includes school land.
The board asked the State Corporation Commission, abbreviated SCC, to hold off on issuing its order, a request that was denied.
, the SCC said Route 3A is “clearly inferior” to Route 4 “by almost every objective measure.”
Community members and elected officials both maintained the preferred option for the was having it underground, but the SCC said 鈥渁n underground route for the Golden-Mars Project is not feasible.鈥�
鈥淭he Commission finds that continued delay in ordering a final route for this project unreasonably jeopardizes the provision of reliable electric service within the Commonwealth,鈥� the SCC said in its filing this week.
Meanwhile, Loudoun County鈥檚 supervisors are urging the school board to host an emergency meeting to discuss the possibilities for the transmission line project.
But in a statement Wednesday, the board said it hasn鈥檛 made any final decision on the proposed routes that would cross school board property and anticipated a joint public meeting scheduled for July 29.
鈥淭he School Board recognizes the regional importance of the proposed project and the need to adhere to the established regulatory timeline,鈥� the statement said. 鈥淎t the same time, the Board expects that the concerns of residents, families, and invested parties will be fully considered as decisions move forward.鈥�
Within 30 days of its order, the SCC said Dominion has to provide an electronic map that shows the route of the approved transmission line.
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