Power Line Opposition Organized By Rock Ridge High School Student

ASHBURN, VA — As the Golden to Mars power line proposal goes to the State Corporation Commission for public hearings, a Rock Ridge High School student has been involved with opposing the project for close to a year.

Sophomore Anvita Gandhari is among the community members who will be at Monday's public hearing at her high school, Rock Ridge High School, at 6:30 p.m. Another public hearing was held on Sept. 18 at Rock Ridge High School, and a public witness hearing by telephone will be held at 10 a.m. on Dec. 15, followed by an evidentiary hearing at the SCC in Richmond.

Gandhari told Patch she got involved about eight months ago when attending a community meeting Dominion Energy held. The electric company has been pursuing three projects to increase capacity and reliability to meet the data center load in the Ashburn area: Wishing Star to Mars, Aspen to Golden and Golden to Mars. The student started a petition that has received more than 1,200 signatures to oppose new overhead power lines. The petition was submitted at the SCC hearing.

The initial Golden to Mars proposal came with five prospective routes, while the final route decision lies with the SCC. According to Gandhari Routes 1, 2, and 5 would run along Loudoun County Parkway and cut through 17 communities and be near Stone Hill Middle School. Route 3 would go near Rosa Lee Carter Elementary School and Route 4 would go near Rock Ridge High School.

Dominion Energy has shared Route 3 as its preferred route. Loudoun County's Board of Supervisors had endorsed Route 4 as their preferred option, with Route 3 as its second choice. Another route, 3A, was proposed over the summer due to the Loudoun County School Board's opposition of Route 3 running through school property. The 3A route impacts an estimated seven properties in the Loudoun Valley Estates neighborhood, including power lines directly entering one resident's yard.

Gandhari noted that Route 5 is the default right-of-way route.

"If no other route gets approved, Dominion doesn’t need extra permission to build it, which means it could move forward automatically and affect thousands of families along Loudoun County Parkway," said Gandhari. "A lot of people don’t even know that Route 5 is the default RoW alternate route."

Gandhari's main concerns with new overhead power lines are the massive towers increasing fire and accident risks, lowering property values and changing the character of neighborhoods.

"As a student, seeing how these 185-foot transmission towers could impact so many communities, schools, and families, including my own, made it feel personal," said Gandhari. "I realized this wasn’t just about power lines; it was about protecting our homes, safety, and community. That’s when I knew I had to step up and take action, even in whatever small way I can, because every bit of help matters."

The Rock Ridge High School student believes partial underground routes should be used, especially where they run within 500 of schools.

"Even if it’s just underground for certain small sections near schools, it would make a big difference for students and families," said Gandhari. "It may cost more upfront, but it’s the safer and more responsible solution. Energy infrastructure shouldn’t come at the expense of people’s safety, homes, and quality of life."

Lansdowne Conservancy and Loudoun County had pushed for partial underground lines in the Aspen to Golden case, but the SCC did not approve underground lines. Dominion Energy previously told Patch underground lines are associated with greater cost plus challenges of navigating existing underground infrastructure.

Gandhari has not only spoken to the Loudoun County board and school board but also gone door-to-door to explain the project to neighbors. She had a particular focus on reaching elderly residents and students and got her entire street to sign the petition.

Even though I am just a student, I wanted to show that young people can help bring communities together," Gandhari said. "Today, I am proud that the petition has signatures from multiple communities across Loudoun County, and many people have personally thanked me for raising awareness."

The big picture of new power lines is the increasing demand for electricity as more data centers are built in Loudoun County. Loudoun County is in the midst of a process to update data center and substation policies and standards. The first phase added a full board review process for data center applications that would be by right. In the second phase now underway, the board will focus on data center and substation standards and locations.

Gandhari says new power lines and data center power demand will continue being a top issue in Loudoun County. She notes more than 100 data centers are being planned in addition to the those already present in the county.

"I’m not against technology or data centers, but they shouldn’t be built right in the middle of neighborhoods where thousands of families live, "said Gandhari. "As a teenager, it makes me worry about the future. When I grow up, I don’t want to live in a county where my safety and quality of life are at risk because of poor planning. We need smarter, community-first energy solutions that support growth while also protecting families and schools."

Anyone who wishes to testify at Monday's hearing must arrive 15 minutes prior to the hearing and register with the SCC’s bailiff. Witness statements are limited to five minutes each.

Along with Monday's public hearing, residents may participate in the Dec. 15 public hearing. To participate, complete a public witness form referencing case number PUR-2025-00056 on the SCC’s website, call the SCC at 804-371-9141 during business hours (8:15 a.m.-5 p.m.) to sign up to speak at the hearing, or send mail to Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118, referencing case number PUR-2025-00056. Comments will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Dec. 9.

After the evidentiary hearing in December, the SCC hearing examiner will make a recommendation about 30 days later in January 2026. A final ruling would follow in about 30 days.