Residents of Albemarle County are pushing back against Dominion Energy's plans to rebuild nearly 16 miles of high-voltage transmission lines between Charlottesville and Gordonsville. WMRA's Anjoleigh Schindler reports.
Dominion wants to replace existing wooden “H-frame” transmission poles with steel towers that would average twice the height of the current ones. The company says the $97million project is needed to maintain electrical reliability and meet growing demand.
But at a public hearing at Charlottesville City Hall Thursday night, residents told the Virginia State Corporation Commission that the taller towers would affect their homes, property values and the region's historic landscapes.
The Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which operates Monticello, also opposed the proposal. A representative said roughly three miles of the transmission line would be visible from the historic mountaintop.
Much of the opposition centered on whether Dominion should bury portions of the line underground.
Joe Rice, a resident of the Fontana neighborhood, questioned Dominion's estimate that underground construction could cost about $1.5 billion.
JOE RICE: What would it cost and how long would it take to bury just the stretches where people live?
Residents also questioned whether growing electricity demand from data centers is driving the expansion, and whether Dominion has sufficiently considered less intrusive alternatives.
The commission's hearing examiner will review the testimony and make recommendations before regulators decide whether to approve the project.
Written public comments will be accepted through November 23.
