Power Line Ruling Appealed By Loudoun County, Another Project To Get Hearings

LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA — Loudoun County and Lansdowne Conservancy are teaming up for a joint appeal of a power line project approved by the State Corporation Commission.

While the county and Lansdowne Conservancy filed separate appeals of the SCC’s Aspen to Golden project ruling to the Virginia Supreme Court, the county and the conservancy are now working on a joint appeal.

"A joint appeal is mutually beneficial because it allows the county and Lansdowne Conservancy to coordinate our arguments for maximum effectiveness," said County Attorney Leo P. Rogers in a statement.

Increased energy demand — from data centers and other locations — is prompting Dominion Energy to boost its capacity from new transmission lines and substations in Loudoun County. The SCC had approved Dominion Energy’s Aspen to Golden transmission line project in February. The Aspen to Golden project includes a route partially along Route 7, 500/230 kilovolt above-ground lines and two substations in the Ashburn area.

Loudoun County and Lansdowne Conservancy joined the case and called for a portion of the power lines to be installed underground, but the SCC approval did not include underground lines. Dominion Energy has argued that undergrounding power lines would come with significant costs and delay the completion date.

The SCC, not Loudoun County, is responsible for regulating electric utilities and approving high-voltage transmission line projects. According to the county, it monitors transmission line proposals and encourages residents to participate in the SCC cases. However, the county government is developing proposed amendments to its comprehensive plan to envision locations, developments and management of high-voltage power line projects.

The county is encouraging residents to get involved with another power line case — the Golden to Mars project. The proposed project calls for 500/230-kilovolt transmission lines and two 230-kilovolt loops to address demand, particularly with data centers. The county has endorsed Route 4 in the case. Two public hearings will be held in Loudoun County — 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 and 29 at Rock Ridge High School, 43460 Loudoun Reserve Drive, Ashburn. There will also be a public witness hearing by telephone at 10 a.m. on Dec. 15, followed by an evidentiary hearing at the SCC in Richmond.

Residents may also complete a public witness form for 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.

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