This text was taken from an email alert sent out on August 29, 2024. Sign up for email alerts →
PEC continues to raise concerns about the increasing use of fossil fuels by data centers, which contribute to climate change; the impacts new transmission lines have on local communities; and the unfair burden of infrastructure costs being subsidized by all energy consumers throughout Virginia.
Dear supporter,
There is a critical chance to weigh in on the proposed “Aspen to Golden” electric transmission line through Loudoun County at the upcoming State Corporation Commission (SCC) public hearing on Sept. 5 in Leesburg.
Dominion Energy plans to build a new 9.4-mile transmission line to serve the growing energy demand from data centers in eastern Loudoun. This large dual circuit 500 kV and 230 kV line would connect two new electric substations called “Aspen,” near the Philip A. Bolen Memorial Park south of Leesburg, and “Golden,” just west of Sterling. This “Aspen to Golden” line would run north to Rt. 7 and along the southside of the Rt. 7 corridor on 180-foot tall monopoles.
The project is one part of a three-part transmission line loop that will spur off of the existing north/south transmission corridor from a substation southeast of Leesburg.
Your voice matters
There are a number of alternatives that could be considered, but we believe we have the greatest chance to influence the potential undergrounding of a three-mile section near Rt. 7, from Claiborne Parkway to Belmont Ridge Road.
The Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Lansdowne Conservancy, Belmont HOA, Community Church, and PEC are all asking that this portion of the Aspen to Golden line be put underground, which would preserve the quality of life, viewsheds, and character of the community for the residents, businesses, and visitors to the area. PEC is also advocating for any additional cost associated with undergrounding this line be paid for, not by the ratepayers as a whole, but by the data center industry in Loudoun that is necessitating this infrastructure project.
SCC Public Hearing
Thursday, Sept. 5, 6–10 p.m.
Belmont Ridge Middle School
Leesburg, VA
It’s important that the SCC hears from as many concerned community members as possible before it makes a decision. The specific route and design, as well as who pays for it, matters. The SCC must ensure all alternatives have been fully considered and that the option selected will have the least impact on residents as possible.
There are a couple of ways to weigh in:
1) Speak at the public hearing on Sept. 5: The SCC is asking people who plan to speak to arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the 6 p.m. start time on Sept. 5, as it is expected to be a well-attended event.
2) Submit written comments by Sept. 10: If you are unable to attend the hearing, you can submit comments through the SCC’s online comment form for this project. Written comments must be submitted by Sept. 10.
One of three planned segments
See the whole map set (173 mb pdf) →
The proposed Aspen to Golden line is the second segment of a three-part transmission line loop to serve data center alley in eastern Loudoun.
The first part of the loop, approved in 2023, is the southern portion shown in red on the map above. It will connect the future Wishing Star and Mars substations.
The third part of the loop, shown above in green as a general path (not an exact route), is planned for just west of Dulles Airport. It will eventually connect the northern and southern legs of this full transmission line loop at the future Mars and Golden substations.
The green portion is currently in the planning stages, with Dominion holding a second community open house sometime this fall (PEC attended the first open house in August). This is a chance for the public to see the route alternatives, ask questions and provide input. Routing alternatives will be based on this public feedback and Dominion’s feasibility criteria, which include cost, timeline, and existing infrastructure/rights of way.
SCC hearings for public witness testimony have been held remotely post-Covid. The fact that the SCC hearing is happening in Loudoun County is a testament to the tremendous level of public interest and engagement on the proposed transmission line projects. It’s critical that folks stay engaged with the Aspen to Golden transmission line project and future proposals.
I’ll also reiterate that proposals for new transmission lines in Loudoun are directly related to the explosive growth of data centers within the County and beyond. As long as data centers keep getting approved at their current pace, residents will be forced to deal with — and subsidize — more and more transmission lines and substations.
PEC will continue to push localities to press pause on any new data center approvals, and say “no” to rezonings that continue to move more properties into the data center pipeline, until there is comprehensive planning for the very real impacts on nearby residents and regional energy infrastructure.
Along with our partners in the Data Center Reform Coalition, we are calling for the state to step in and implement common-sense reform that includes:
- transparency around energy and water usage as well as emissions
- a state review process of grid impact and regional impacts
- tightening of the state tax credit for data centers
- protection of ratepayers from increasing infrastructure costs
- mitigation of adverse effects on communities and resources
We hope to see you at the SCC public hearing on Sept. 5! Feel free to reach out if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Tia Earman
Senior Land Use Field Representative
Loudoun and Clarke Counties
[email protected]
