PEC invites community on Dominion Charlottesville-Gordonsville transmission proposal

The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC) is inviting the public to a community meeting on May 13 to discuss Dominion Energy’s proposal to rebuild and convert a 20-mile single-circuit 230 kV transmission line between Charlottesville and Gordonsville into a double-circuit line.

• Main announcement and meeting details:

  • PEC is hosting a community meeting on Wednesday, May 13 @ 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Keswick Hunt Club, 626 Hunt Club Road, Keswick to present the Charlottesville-Gordonsville transmission project and how residents can comment to the State Corporation Commission (SCC).
  • The project proposal would rebuild 20 miles of existing single-circuit 230 kV line as a double-circuit 230 kV line, potentially increasing tower heights and expanding the right-of-way through the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District; PEC is urging consideration of alternatives such as undergrounding, minimizing heights, improved tower design, and enforceable limits on future expansion.

• Background, process, and context:

  • PEC says it is engaged in 6 transmission projects across its nine-county region, is participating in the CPCN hearing before the SCC, and anticipates the project will file with the State Corporation Commission imminently.
  • The notice cites proximity to protected and nationally significant resources (e.g., Monticello Viewshed Protection Area, Journey Through Hallowed Ground National Heritage Area) and notes regional tourism spending valued at nearly $1 billion annually.