Underground Power Line Route Proposed By Loudoun County, Others In Golden To Mars Case

ASHBURN, VA — On Thursday, county, state and school leaders along with residents put out a proposal for a partial underground option for Dominion Energy's Golden to Mars power line projects. The partners put out a call to the data center industry and Dominion Energy to support partial underground routes at a news conference outside the Loudoun County Government Center.

The county, Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun Valley Estates, HOA Roundtable and the Piedmont Environmental Council released the partial underground proposal as respondents in the Golden to Mars. The underground route is being submitted to the State Corporation Commission for consideration.

The Golden to Mars power line project is one of three Dominion Energy is pursuing to address power demand in Ashburn largely from data centers. It is currently under review by the State Corporation Commission, which has authority to select the final power line route. The other two projects addressing power demand in Ashburn are the Wishing Star to Mars and recently approved Aspen to Golden.

"Never before have we seen a rise in the demand for energy that we are seeing now," said Bryan Turner, a lawyer who represents Loudoun Valley Estates 1 and the HOA Rountable. "In Loudoun County and most of Virginia, this demand is derived primarily from one industry, the data center industry. The negative impacts of these electrical consumers are resulting in the industrialization of established residential communities."

Turner's clients include a group of Loudoun Valley Estates residents whose homes the Golden to Mars Route 3A would put 500 kilovolt and 230 kilovolt lines near their homes. Power lines would be within the property line of one of the homes. Residents have expressed health, safety and property value concerns with having power lines on or near their properties. Residents say the Loudoun Valley Estates neighborhood itself is powered by underground lines.

According to a county government statement, Loudoun County is recommending underground power lines that would pass closer than 500 feet from homes or schools. Loudoun County does not have authority to approve the power lines but has filed as a participant in the SCC case.

Turner said Dominion Energy's concerns with an underground route have been addressed by county experts in the plan. That includes avoiding underground utilities on the route and receiving school board support for underground lines on school property.

Dominion Energy representatives previously told Patch underground lines have a higher cost plus challenges of navigating existing underground infrastructure.

The plan would require transition stations on Amazon and Digital Carver Dulles properties. The partners say putting a transition station on the Amazon property would avoid the Dominion Energy concern of putting a transition station on a floodplain.

"As major players in our region's tech economy, its cooperation would speak volumes about its commitment to be a friendly neighbor, community partner and environmental steward," Turner said.

Elected officials attending to show support for underground lines were state Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-Loudoun), Del. JJ Singh (D-Loudoun), Chair Phyllis Randall (D-at large), Vice Chair Michael Turner (D-Ashburn), Supervisor Sylvia Glass (D-Broad Run), Sterling District school board representative Arben Istrefi and Clerk of the Court Gary Clemens.

Earlier in 2025, the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors changed that, eliminating data centers as a by-right use and requiring a special exception review by the board. Randall noted a 1993 zoning ordinance change allowed most data centers by right as an office use. The chair said the 1993 board had no idea what the data center would become today and that they use significant power and water.

According to Randall, data centers seeking to be good neighbors can do so by supporting underground power lines.

"Undergrounding does not say you won't have power," said Randall at the news conference. "It does not say you won't have your data center or that your data center will close. It just says it will protect people's property values. What we know is that data centers themselves don't lower property values, but there is some new evidence that says power lines, transmission lines on property, could absolutely impact property values."

Srinivasan and Singh had pushed a bill for underground power lines pilot programs, but that failed to pass the Virginia General Assembly this year.

"My hope is that the proposals presented to us today will gain broader support and be given serious consideration in the State Corporation Commission approval process," said Srinivasan. "An underground solution reflects our shared goals: protecting residents, supporting responsible growth and planning wisely in the future."

Singh estimated one data center consumes the same amount of power as 4,000 to as many as 50,000 homes.

"When you think about the American Dream, you think about great communities, you think about safe streets, clean air, clean water, good jobs, great schools, but nowhere in that equation do you hear overhead transmission lines," said Singh. "We need Dominion and the data center industry and all the stakeholders to have the courage to come together to get this thing done."

There were two SCC hearings on the Golden to Mars power line project at Rock Ridge High School in Ashburn during September. 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.

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.