Fluvanna County Staff
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns has joined the opposition to Valley Link.
In a short video posted last week on the Facebook page of Jefferson County Voices Opposing Line Transmissions, the acclaimed documentarian said he was “gravely worried” about the proposed transmission project.
The Valley Link project is designed to move large amounts of electricity eastward from the Ohio River Valley through West Virginia and Virginia toward Northern Virginia and Maryland, where an explosion of power-hungry data centers has fueled growing electricity demand.
Burns was speaking specifically about Valley North, a proposed 260-mile transmission line connecting Putnam County, West Virginia, with Frederick County, Maryland. Fluvanna County is included in the route alternatives for a separate 115-mile Joshua Falls-to-Yeat section of the Valley Link, which would run from Campbell County to Culpeper County.
In total, the latest maps produced by Valley Link place portions of 33 counties across West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland within one or more possible transmission corridors.
“If Valley Link is allowed to go forward, it will damage our history in ways that can never be undone,” Burns said. “To desecrate this land—and destroy countless farms and homes—by building a massive 765-kilovolt power line is unthinkable, particularly in the year when we commemorate our 250th anniversary as a nation.”
Burns’ work has frequently explored the events and traditions central to the region’s history, including his documentary series The Civil War, The American Revolution and Country Music.
“Every step along the proposed power line is sacred ground,” he said.
Burns urged residents to add their voices to what he called an “important and urgent cause” and to “say no to Valley Link.”
Valley Link is a joint venture among Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy Transmission and Transource Energy, which is jointly owned by American Electric Power and Evergy.
Potential routes are scheduled to be finalized, and applications are to be submitted to the State Corporation Commission (SCC) before the end of the year.
The project has drawn sharp opposition from residents, advocacy groups and local governments across the region, including Fluvanna County.
Opponents have raised concerns about its potential effects on homes, farms, historic sites and rural landscapes, as well as the need for massive new transmission infrastructure driven largely by data center growth.
