By Heather Michon, Editor
More than 500 Fluvanna County residents packed the Fluvanna Community Center on March 10 to question representatives of Valley Link about a proposed high-voltage transmission line planned to cross Fluvanna County.
Many attendees left the meeting unsatisfied, saying the company had not fully addressed concerns about property impacts, routing decisions, and the project’s rationale.
Valley Link officials say the project is intended to strengthen the regional electric grid and help meet rapidly rising electricity demand across Virginia and the broader mid-Atlantic region.
The proposed Joshua Falls-to-Yeat 765-kilovolt transmission line would run roughly 115 miles from Campbell County to Culpeper County, passing through portions of Fluvanna County.
Representatives told questioners that the primary advantage would be increased grid reliability across the regional electric system rather than a specific local benefit. But, some residents said, those same representatives were unable to identify direct local benefits to the community.
Property impacts were another frequent concern. Some residents said the proposed routes could place the transmission corridor near homes and family land, raising worries about visual impacts, noise, and potential effects on property values.
Health and environmental questions also appeared in the discussion.
There were concerns about electromagnetic fields (EMF) associated with high-voltage transmission lines and the potential impacts on people, livestock or crops. Others expressed concern about potential impacts on wildlife and local ecosystems.
Following the meeting, some residents also voiced frustration with the event’s format. A few said long lines and building capacity limits made it difficult for residents to enter the venue and speak directly with Valley Link representatives.
Next Steps
Valley Link is a joint venture involving Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy Transmission and Transource, a company owned by American Electric Power and Evergy.
Company officials said the line is designed to strengthen the high-capacity backbone of the regional grid and improve the ability to move electricity between western and eastern portions of the PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator serving 13 states and the District of Columbia.
Electricity demand across the region is rising quickly, driven by population growth, increasing electrification of homes and transportation, and especially the expansion of energy-intensive industries such as data centers.
They described the transmission project as part of a broader effort to expand the grid’s capacity to handle that growth while maintaining reliable power service.
For Fluvanna County, two main route corridors and several variations are currently under review. Officials said the routes remain preliminary and could be refined based on feedback from residents, landowners, and local governments.
However, company representatives have said the general paths are unlikely to change significantly, noting that the corridors were developed through earlier planning studies aimed at minimizing impacts on homes and environmentally sensitive areas.
Valley Link plans to hold a second round of open houses in June.
Information on the project and detailed maps of the proposed routes can be found at
https://vltransmission.com/joshua-falls-to-yeat/
