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Sign our petition for an Underground HVDC Alternative
Underground HVDC Is An Alternative to Overhead HVAC Transmission Lines
The only viable alternative to overhead HVAC transmission lines that would preserve the value of private property, conservation easements, national and state parks faced with the MARL/Gore-Doubs-Goose Creek and Valley Link transmission projects would be underground high-voltage direct current (HVDC).
If underground HVDC technology is adapted it will save thousands of private property owners across Virginia form eminent domain easement takings for transmission lines to provide energy for data centers! Dominion just proposed a 185 mile entirely underground HVDC transmission line to bring energy from the south of Virginia to the data centers in Northern Virginia.
Read more about Underground HVDC Sign our petition for an Underground HVDC Alternative
ALERT: West VA 6/1/2026 Deadline to Intervene in MARL, Public Hearings Scheduled
West Virginia: 26-0075-E-CN Deadline To Intervene: Monday, 6/1/2026
Watch the WATI Intervenor Video posted to the WATI Facebook page (under recent files)
Review the tutorial, To view examples of already filed pro-se petitions to intervene in the case 26-0075-E-CN - simply click the "View Pdf" button and view any document titled "Petition To Intervene" that doesn't say "filed by Counsel" Your petition to intervene can be as short as one page. See also West Virginia Landowner Resources for examples, WVA PSC Links and local contacts
PUBLIC HEARINGS DATES ALL AT 5:30 P.M. (Reference: Order on Public Hearings Schedule) :
- June 4, 2026 — Potomac State College, Davis Conference Center (Keyser, WV)
- June 5, 2026 — Hampshire County Courthouse, 2nd Floor (Romney, WV)
- June 10, 2026 — Mylan Park Show Room (Morgantown, WV)
- June 11, 2026 — Kingwood Civic Center (Kingwood, WV)
You do not have to be a West VA resident to attend and speak!
ALERT : Frederick County, Virginia 6/8/2026 Deadline To Intervene in MARL
Virginia Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) PUR-2026-00018: This is the Application for the new 200' easement from the West VA border to the handoff point in Gore, VA and the proposed Woodside substation on the rural preservation tract of the Ridgeway Subdivision
The time to intervene is NOW!!
- If you intend to intervene Pro Se, Request a Virginia SCC efiling account immediatly! This is a manual process that takes a couple days to setup!! Send the form to the VA SCC by overnight mail!
- Review the examples of Petitions to Intervene filed in prior VA SCC cases on the Virginia Landowner Resources page.
VA SCC Decisions can be appealed directly to the Virginia Supreme Court. The Virginia Supreme Court does not re-litigate the case. It reviews the evidence, arguments and decision of the VA SCC. The Virginia Supreme Court will not review anything not already in the case!
If you are a property owner and your property is impacted you must intervene to have standing in an appeal to the Virginia Supreme Court and you must have stated a) your property interest, b) the action you are seeking from the VA SCC and c) the factual and legal basis for the action.
For example:
a) Describe your property and the impact.
- How many acres do you have is your home on the property?
- Did you recieve a letter from NestERA?
- Will your property be taken or devalued? How so?
b) Do you want the VA SCC to deny the application? Why?
- The handoff point in Gore is arbitrary and needlessly takes private property for a new easement. If the line the east of the handoff point can be built within the existing easement, the line from West VA to the handoff point can be built within the existing easement.
- The transmission line is for new and expanding data centers . This is a private gain, not a public use and not a public interest. This is not an appropriate use of eminent domain.
- The property purchased for the Woodside substation is not a viable location because: it is the rural preservation lot of the RidgeWay Estates Subdivision; building a substation would violate the restrictive covanents for the subdivision; there are two drain field easements deeded to other properties in the sub division on the proposed site; the property (Lot 24 of the Ridge Way subdivision) is the subject of a lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Frederick County Virginia (CL26000283-00)
c) Legal basis examples (I am not a lawyer, these sections have been commonly used in prior cases)
- Per Virginia Code §§ 56-265.2 the Commission has a statutory responsibility to ensure "associated facilities including transmission lines and equipment (i) will have no material adverse effect upon the rates paid by customers of any regulated public utility in the Commonwealth; (ii) will have no material adverse effect upon reliability of electric service provided by any such regulated public utility; and (iii) are not otherwise contrary to the public interest. In review of its petition for a certificate to construct and operate a generating facility described in this subsection, the Commission shall give consideration to the effect of the facility and associated facilities, including transmission lines and equipment, on the environment and establish such conditions as may be desirable or necessary to minimize adverse environmental impact as provided in § 56-46.1. " (Emphasis Added).
- §56-46.1 of the Code of Virginia which states: "Whenever the Commission is required to approve the construction of any electrical utility facility, it shall give consideration to the effect of that facility on the environment and establish such conditions as may be desirable or necessary to minimize adverse environmental impact." (Emphasis Added)
- The code of Virginia section § 1-219.1.D puts limitations on eminent domain. The code of Virginia section § 1-219.1. Limitations on eminent domain section D:"Except where property is taken (i) for the creation or functioning of a public service corporation, public service company, or railroad; (ii) for the provision of any authorized utility service by a government utility corporation; or (iii) for sanitary sewer, water or stormwater facilities, or transportation facilities, including highways, roads, streets, and bridges, traffic signals, related easements and rights-of-way, mass transit, ports, and any components of federal, state, or local transportation facilities, by a public corporation, property can only be taken where: (a) the public interest dominates the private gain and (b) the primary purpose is not private financial gain, private benefit, an increase in tax base or tax revenues, an increase in employment, or economic development." [Emphasis added]
URGENT ACTION: Frederick County, VA, Request a VA SCC Local Public Hearing for MARL
The VA SCC has not scheduled any local public hearings for the MARL transmission line case! There is only a telephone hearing for public comments identified in the hearing order!
This application includes the eminent domain takings of a 200' easement across 2.8 miles of private property and the Woodside Substation in Clearbrook! This is the first of what will be multiple lines crossing Frederick County to bring energy to Data Center Alley. You deserve the oppurtunity to stand up, express your concerns and the impacts to you and your community and be heard in person.
We need Frederick County residents to submit comments resuesting a local public hearing in Frederick County.
Please copy and personalize the statement below and submit it using the online VA SCC Comment form for the MARL Case.
Statement requesting a local public hearing to be scheduled: Pursuant to Virginia Code § 56-46.1. (C) Which states: " If, prior to such approval, any interested party shall request a public hearing, the Commission shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after such request, hold such hearing or hearings at such place as may be designated by the Commission. ... If, prior to such approval, written requests therefore" are received from the governing body of any county or municipality through which the line is proposed to be built or from 20 or more interested parties, the Commission shall hold at least one hearing in the area that would be affected by construction of the line, for the purpose of receiving public comment on the proposal.", as a resident of Frederick County, Virginia affected by the construction of the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link Project, I request the Virginia Corporation Commission to hold at least one public hearing in Frederick County purpose of receiving public comment on the proposal.
You can also send an email to the Frederick County BOS and ask them to officially request a local public hearing in Frederick County for the purpose of recieving public input on the proposal.
- Send email to: john.jewell@fcva.us;al.orndorff@fcva.us;jason.aikens@fcva.us;rwells@fcva.us;mike.guevremont@fcva.us;gary.oates@fcva.us
- Sample content: I am writing to formally request that the Frederick County BOS send an official letter to the Virginia State Corporation Commission and request that they schedule a local public hearing to receive public comment regarding the Mid-AtlanticResiliency Link (MARL) project (PUR-2026-00018) and the proposed Marl/Gore-Doubs-Goose-Creek transmission lines. This project significantly impacts local property owners in Frederick County. It is essential that the community has a formal opportunity to provide input on how this infrastructure and the associated use of eminent domain and new substation will affect our area. Thank you for your time and for ensuring that public voices are heard in this process.
ALERT: Frederick County, Virginia MARL Application Filed and Procedural Dates Set (PUR-2026-00018)
VA SCC Case: PUR-2026-00018 NextERA MARL: This Application is for the new 200' easement from the West VA border to the handoff point in Gore, VA and the proposed Woodside substation on the rural preservation tract of the Ridgeway Subdivision in Clear Brook, Virginia.
The VA SCC Hearing Examiner has issues an Order for Hearing and set the procedural schedule:
1) June 8, 2026 Deadline to Intervene as a Respondent
"Notice of participation shall set forth: (i) a precise statement of the interest of the respondent; (ii) a statement of the specific action sought to the extent then known; and (iii) the factual and legal basis for the action. Such notice of participation shall include the email addresses of such parties or their counsel. The respondent simultaneously shall serve a copy of the notice of participation electronically on counsel to the Company, Staff and all other respondents."
2) July 20, 2026 Deadline to file Testimony
Each witness's testimony shall include a summary not to exceed one page All testimony and exhibits shall be served electronically on Staff, the Company, and all other respondents simultaneous with their filing
3) October 6, 2026 Deadline for Submitting Comments
Comments any interested person may file comments on the Application by following the instructions found on the Commission's website: scc.virginia.gov/case-information/submit-public-comments. Those unable, as a practical matter, to file comments electronically may file such comments by U.S. mail to the Clerk of the State Corporation Commission, c/o Document Control Center, P.O. Box 2118, Richmond, Virginia 23218-2118. All comments shall refer to Case No. PUR-2026-00018. You can submit comments directly to the VA SCC by using the online VA SCC Comment Form for the MARL Case
4) October 6, 2026 Deadline for Signing up to speak telephonically as a Public Witness at the October 14, 2026 Public Hearing
- Public Witnesses Testimony - Telephonically at 10:00am On October 14, 2026, 5 min each sign-up by October 6, 2026 by filling out this form https://www.scc.virginia.gov/case-information/webcasting/public-witness/#d.en.25685or calling (804) 371-9141
- There is no local public hearing scheduled for Frederick County! Please submit a request for a local public hearing in Frederick County using the online VA SCC Comment form for the MARL Case.
5) October 14, 2026 Evidentiary hearing at 10:00am October 14, 2026 at the VA SCC in Richmond
Key Information from the Hearing Order
- There are no Public Witness Hearings scheduled locally in Frederick, County
- Only Property owners within 250 feet of the proposed and alternate routes will be sent notices by NextERA by May 8, 2026. NextERA is requesting a 200-foot to 500-foot siting corridor, your property may still be impacted even if you do not receive a notice from NextERA.
- "The Commission may consider a route not significantly different from the routes described in this notice without additional notice to the public."
- "NEET VA anticipates installing a total of 13 structures on the Virginia Portions of its proposed route, with typical structure heights ranging from 115 to 190 feet tall, with an average height of approximately 150 feet and an average span length between transmission structures of approximately 1,015 feet. The Company asserts that the entire 2.4 miles of right-of-way ("ROW") for the Virginia Portions of the MARL Project would require new property rights for new-build transmission line; thus, NEET VA would require new easements on 17 parcels. The Company requests that the Commission grant it the flexibility to adjust the location of its ROW within a 200-foot to 500-foot siting corridor"
- Under the DEA, NEET VA is obligated to complete the Woodside Substation by December 31, 2028, and NEET VA and NEET MA are obligated to complete the overall MARL Project and place it into service by December 31, 2031. The Company maintains that PJM has requested that NEET VA and NEET MA take all reasonable actions for obtaining approvals and completing construction of the transmission line as soon as is practicable and closer to the identified need date of 2027-2028.
ALERT: West VA MARL Application Filed and Procedural Dates Set (26-0075-E-CN)
Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL)
West Virginia: 26-0075-E-CN Deadline To Intervene: Monday, 6/1/2026
Watch the WATI Intervenor Video posted to the WATI Facebook page (under recent files)
Review the tutorial, To view examples of already filed pro-se petitions to intervene in the case 26-0075-E-CN - simply click the "View Pdf" button and view any document titled "Petition To Intervene" that doesn't say "filed by Counsel" Your petition to intervene can be as short as one page. See also West Virginia Landowner Resources for examples, WVA PSC Links and local contacts
Key Dates
1) PUBLIC HEARINGS ALL AT 5:30 P.M. (Reference: Order on Public Hearings Schedule) :
- June 4, 2026 — Potomac State College, Davis Conference Center (Keyser, WV)
- June 5, 2026 — Hampshire County Courthouse, 2nd Floor (Romney, WV)
- June 10, 2026 — Mylan Park Show Room (Morgantown, WV)
- June 11, 2026 — Kingwood Civic Center (Kingwood, WV)
2) Procedural Dates (Reference: Procedural Order):
- June 1, 2026 Intervenor Deadline
- August 14, 2026 Discovery Deadline for preparation of Staff/Intervenor Direct Testimony
- September 8, 2026 Staff/Intervenor Direct Testimony Discovery
- September 15, 2026 Deadline for preparation of Rebuttal Testimony in response to Staff/Intervenor Direct Testimony
- October 7, 2026 Rebuttal Testimony
- October 19, 2026 Discovery Deadline in response to Rebuttal Testimon
- October 26 to October 30 and November 2, 2026 Evidentiary Hearing 9:30 a.m. Howard M. Cunningham Hearing Room,Public Service Commission Building,201 Brooks Street, Charleston, West Virginia
- November 23, 2026 Initial Briefs/Proposed Orders
- December 4, 2026 Reply Briefs
- March 6, 2027 Decision Due Date
2026 5/7 Ridgeway Estates Files Injunction to Stop the Woodside Substation
The Frederick County, Virginia community of Ridgeway Estates has filed an injunction to prohibit the Woodside Substation being built on the rural preservation tract of their subdivision.
Their subdivision has HOA covenants precluding this level of development - which I was told would prevent NextERA from putting a clothesline in front of their single family home. The home owners unanimously voted to retain the covenants and refused to waive them for NextERA's purposes.
The Ridgeway Estates home owners are contending the covanents were illegally waived to enable NextERA to purchase the property for the substation. On top of that and in spite of the fact that the application for the substation puts industrial infrastructure within 40 feet of people's homes and over top of the deeded drain fields for two of the homes and the unified and vocal opposition to the substation from residents at the planning commission meeting and the Frederick County BOS meetings, the Frederick County Planning Commission found the application to be "within substantial accord" with the comprehensive plan.
Accordingly, the Ridgeway Estates homeowners have filed an injunction against NextERA, the seller of the property (Joline Orndoff and the Fairfield Farm of Frederick County LLC) and the Frederick County Board Of Supervisors.
Winchester Star Article: https://www.winchesterstar.com/winchester_star/ridgeway-estates-residents-file-injunction-to-stop-substation/article_af3c4328-bc92-56c0-
Action : West VA, VA, MD File Comments Opposing MARL in PA
Support our Pennsylvania friends by filing comments opposing the MARL line in the PA PUC MARL Case Anyone may comment, even those from other states We are all fighting this together, one for all and all for one! There is no deadline for submitting comments. Its as easy as 1, 2 , 3 !
1) Download the PA PUC Comment Letter.docx (available here) modify it, add your thoughts, save it and convert it to PDF
You cannot type any comments at the website. It requires a PDF file
For those who may not have a software like Word, you can use Google Docs and save it as
a PDF file. The following is how to do it
How to save as a PDF (Desktop)
1. Open your Google Doc in a web browser.
2. Click File in the top-left corner. Hover over Download.
3. Select PDF Document (.pdf) from the options.
The PDF will download to your computer's default downloads folder.
Alternative method: Print to PDF
1. Open your Google Doc.
2. Go to File > Print, or use the shortcut Ctrl + P (Windows) / Cmd + P (Mac).
3. In the print dialog, set the Destination to Save as PDF.
Click Save and choose where to save the file.
On Mobile (Android/iOS)
1. Open the Google Docs app and the document.
2. Tap the three dots (More) menu.
3. Select Share & export > Save as PDF.
2) Goto the PA PUC's website (https://efiling.puc.pa.gov/) and create an account. As soon as you hit "Submit" you will get a confirmation email. Click the link to verify your account and Login.
3) As soon as you login you will be presented with a "New Filing Page". For case type choose "Existing", enter the docket number and case description. Click "Next". Select "Comments" for document type, upload your file , click "Next" then click "Submit eFiling"
Step by Step Instructions on eFiling at the PA PUC
You will want to do this twice one for each docket , the second docket is to give NextERA public utility status in PA:
a) A-2026-3060856 - NextERA Transmission MidAtlantic INC
b) A-2026-3060921 - NextERA Transmission MidAtlantic INC
(If you are in PA contact Pennsylvanians Against Transmission Injustice for how you can help and local news about the case. See also Pennsylvania Landowner Resources
2026 4/23 Alert: VA & WVA : FirstEnergy Survey and Drilling Crews Out
First Energy Will Have Survey and Drilling Crews Out In Frederick County, Loudoun County and Jefferson County Within The Next Couple Of Weeks
Know Your Property Rights / Ensure you have a no trespassing sign on your property.
At this time, neither Valley Link nor NextERA have any easements and do not have the right to enter private property without permission.
First Energy / Potomac Edison / AEP do own easements along the route, deeds are specific to the property. There are multiple transmission projects in the works and there are multiple variants in the deeds.
You can (politely) challenge the subcontractor's authority to access the easement for their stated activities and ask them to leave and come back with documentation.
If there is no easement on your property you do not have to allow access to your land at all.
If there is an easement on your property : Ensure you have the easement deed and understand what is allowed. In general you will want to verify the easement language allows the work they plan on performing for the transmission company they are working for. Also that they will be marking the easement and that all work will be done within in the easement. Usually the easements specify vegetation management and allow maintenance activities. Drilling bore holes is not generally a maintenance activity, nor is surveying outside the easement. The easement deed also names the company owning the easement and the width of the easement.
Filing / Sending / Handing Out No Trespassing Notices
1) Create a Trespass Notice
If you have an easement on your property you will want to write a letter to describe what is allowed and what is not allowed per your deed. See the sample and modify it appropriate to your property, deed and the work they have stated they want to do.
If there is no easement on your property (or the transmission company is not the one on the deed), fill out and print multiple copies of the standard no trespassing notice from the Sheriff's office for your county.
- Loudoun County Sheriff's office Trespass Notice
- Loudoun County Trespass Notification Info
- Frederick County Trespass Notice
2) Print multiple copies of the filled out form or your letter.
3) Send the letter certified US Mail with a return receipt to the point of contact on the letter you received in the mail, and/or on your door and/or the point of contact obtained from the crew that attempted to access your property.
4) Retain a copy with the return receipt for your records which can be presented to a deputy if a violation occurs.
5) Keep copies handy and hand the letter to the individuals that stop by.
If you have questions, consult a property attorney.
Questions to ask if a subcontractor is on your property:
- What transmission project is this for?
- What Company are you working for?
- What transmission company hired your company (NextEra, Valley Link, FirstEnergy ...) ?
- What are you planning on doing?
- Please provide documentation that the easement grants the activities, described to the transmission developer you are working for.
- Ask for a business card and a contact card.
2026 4/23 Action: Property Owners With Existing Easements Check Your Deeds
If you own property in Frederick County, Clarke County or Loudoun County, Virginia or Jefferson County, West VA that has an existing transmission line, find the original easement agreement and get a copy - including the plat.
The easement deed should have been filed as part of your property deed.
Check the easement specifications these often include detailed descriptions of the following:
- The electric company that owns the easement (First Energy, PEPCO, Dominion, Northern Virginia Power Company)
- Dimensions: The specific length and width of the right-of-way (ROW). Transmission tower ROWs typically range from 50 to 500 feet depending on voltage and terrain. This may be specified as an offset either side of a center line.
- Infrastructure Details: The number, placement/location, height, and design of poles, towers, H-frames as well as the voltage carried.
- Access Rights: The utility's right to enter the property for construction, maintenance, and emergency repairs.
- Vegetation Management: Explicit rights to trim or remove trees and brush within the ROW, and sometimes "danger trees" outside the primary area that could fall onto lines.
This is important information for you to have to verify the transmission developer and their subcontractors actually have been granted the right to undertake the work they are proposing.
The electric company has to abide by the legal specifications of the agreement that granted them that right-of-way across your property. These are specific to the property.
Based on the deed, you may not have to allow drilling or surveying on the easement.
You also may not have to accept different placement, height, voltage, number of lines and design of the transmission line without a new easement agreement and additional compensation.
Note: Northern Virginia Power Company is not First Energy Ask for the legal paper work to show the rights transferring to ... don't be snowed ... there would be paperwork
If you have questions, consult a property attorney.
2026 4/3 More About the Maryland PSC Gore-Doubs-GooseCreek Case 9870
The Gore-Doubs-GooseCreek Improvements project is not just one line! The Gore-Doubs-GooseCreek application for a Maryland CPCN includes components of three separate transmission projects and will add TWO more 500kV lines.
The application includes:
- A re-build of the existing 60 year old 500kV line previously approved to be completed for an in-service date of June 1, 2024. This was MD PSC Case No. 9669 and VA SCC Case PUR-2021-00276 both applications were submitted in 2021 and were approved. The rebuild would have increased the capacity of the existing line from 2,442 MVA to 4,330 MVA. The Virginia Application stated the re-build and re-conductoring cost was $8.9M and it was to replace "aging infrastructure that is at the end of its useful life". The line was installed in 1966,has never been re-conductored, pictures of corroding of the steel towers were included. This was a maintenance only re-build. The re-build application in 2021 did not list any NERC violations or reliability issues and stated that the re-build was projected to meet the energy demand through 2031. The data center build out in Eastern Loudoun substantially increased in 2021 and consequently the demand increased exponentially. The re-build project was later canceled by the companies.
- A 500kV line, Doubs-Aspen, to move the power from the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) line that ends at Doubs through Frederick and Montgomery counties and over the Potomac into Data Center Alley. There are no substations in Maryland along this line.
- A 500kV line Woodside-Goose Creek, from the proposed new Woodside substation in Virginia that is part of the 154 mile Mid-Atlantic Reliability Link(MARL)/Gore -Doubs-GooseCreek line. From the new substation in Virginia this segment continues through Virginia and West VA, over the Potomac into Maryland, bypassing Doubs, through Frederick and Montgomery counties in then crosses back over the Potomac into Data Center Alley. There are no substations in Maryland along this line. (Read how the Woodside-Goose Creek line was re-routed into Maryland by Loudoun County)
Approval of this project assumes that both MPRP and MARL are also approved, because without MPRP and MARL there is no additional energy for the two new 500kV lines!
Notes from the application:
- Pg 3: The company is requesting a final order by December 20, 2027
- Pg 6: Additional authorizations: Frederick County Department of Permits and Inspections ... zoning types crossed in Frederick County include Resource Conservation and Agriculture. According to the Frederick County Zoning Code these zoning types require a special exception with a site development approval.
- Pg 7: "two sets of lattice structures supporting an existing 500kV line and two 230kV lines will be removed and replaced with three sets of steel structures that will support five transmission lines total (the existing lines plus two new 500kV lines)"
- Pg 13: "Potomac Edison plans to utilize self-supporting steel poles as the support structures for the transmission line conductors. Based on preliminary engineering, Potomac Edison anticipates using structure heights ranging anywhere from approximately 185 feet to approximately 260 feet in height above ground level."
- Pg 17: " The project area is home to forest resources, including within the C&O Canal National Historical Park, Dickerson Conservation Area, Banner Park, Monocacy NRMA, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Owens Park."
- Pg 22: Lists alternatives submitted by the company and states that "PJM ultimately selected the Project subject to this CPCN submission." This is not exactly true. PJM selected NextERA's proposal in December of 2023 then approved an Alternate MARL Re-Route in August of 2024 that re-routed the MARL line into Frederick and Montgomery counties in order to accommodate Loudoun County's routing preference. Then PJM assigned the new Woodside - Goose Creek segment to the company. The re-route added an additional $167M to the overall project cost to PJM rate payers. The "project" in the application was not submitted as an individual "project proposal" to PJM.
This is not a small "improvement". This is a massive overbuild to supply the data center build-out in Loudoun County's Data Center Alley!
In addition to the Special Exemption required by Frederick County to cross these Resource Conservation and Agriculture zones, this application raises serious property rights issues concerning the existing easements.
Easements are deeded for a specific purpose, there are two existing easements one for each existing transmission line, the plats would show a center line and possibly the positions of the structures. Easement rights are not unrestricted. Adding two additional 500kV lines on 3 parallel structures would be in conflict with the existing easement deeds and would contradict Maryland easement laws. This is known as "overburdening the servient estate". Similar conflicts with easement laws are being raised by the property owners at No More Powerlines who have been fighting MD PUC Case 9748. If you have a powerline easement on your property, check your deed, read the laws cited by No More Powerlines and contact an attorney if you have questions.
Intervene to protect your property rights! You can do this!
2026 2/21 Valley Link is Two Separate 765kV Lines to support Data Centers in Northern VA
Both of these lines are 765kV on new 200' easements for the entire length. These are the biggest overhead HVAC structure and lines available. This represents a massive industrialization of rural and residential areas and a taking of private property that is entirely unacceptable. Tell Dominion, bury these lines, underground HVDC just like the proposed Heritage - Mosby 185 mile all underground HVDC "backbone"
There will be two separate applications at the Virginia SCC. Information on the VA SCC can be found on the Virginia Landowners Resources page. See Underground HVDC, EMFs, Transmission ROW Info
Valley Link North (Amos - Welton Springs - Rocky Point)
This proposal is a 261-mile, 765kV transmission line on a new 200' easement for its entire length. Impacting Frederick, Clarke and north western Loudoun Counties.
Valley Link South (Joshua Falls - Yeat)
This proposal is a 115-mile, 765kV transmission line on a new 200' easement for its entire length (the biggest overhead HVAC structure and line available) from Joshua Falls in Campbell County, Virginia through to a new 765kV substation in Culpepper County, Virginia. An expansion of the Joshua Falls substation in is also proposed. New 200' easements will be taken for the entire length of the line. If built, approximately 2,788 acres of property will be taken for this line.
This line impacts:
- 8 counties in Virginia - Campbell, Appomattox, Buckingham, Fluvanna, Goochland, Louisa Culpepper and Orange
Valley Link South and SMRs In The News:
- The Farmville Herald: Input sought
- CBSNews: Proposed Transmission Line Could Cross Multiple Area Counties
- Cardinal News: SMR planned for Campbell County
- CRE Daily: Goochland Development Proposal Ignites Community Backlash
There will be two separate applications at the Virginia SCC. Information on the VA SCC can be found on the Virginia Landowners Resources page. See Underground HVDC, EMFs, Transmission ROW Info
The goal is no overhead HVAC lines on anyone's property! Sign nothing without consulting a lawyer,
115 miles of transmission line and 0 easement agreements signed before the VA SCC Application is approved will send a strong message.
There will be two separate applications at the Virginia SCC. Information on the VA SCC can be found on the Virginia Landowners Resources page. See Underground HVDC, EMFs, Transmission ROW Info
We are encouraging our southern Virginia neighbors to form local opposition groups to inform their communities, oppose Valley Link South and either intervene in the Valley Link South case at the VA SCC either Pro-Se or with a lawyer.
We will post the southern Valley Link opposition groups and contacts when we know them.
2026 1/17: Valley Link has published an Activities Timeline for Jefferson County, West VA
Stakeholder Engagement: Early Spring 2026 - Hint - YOU ARE NOT A "STAKEHOLDER" but your elected officials and bureaucrats are.
If Valley Link is working with elected officials in West VA, they are already working behind the backs of private property owners with elected officials all along the route - contact elected officials in your state!
Public Feedback Sessions Summer 2026 - in person and virtual open houses
Route Development and Regulatory Applications - Fall 2026
This line is an all new 200' easement for the full 261 Miles - 6,347.25 acres of private property will be taken to support data centers in data center alley!
2025 12/12 Propaganda Alert West VA!! NextERA is buying influence and creating astro turf groups
Watch out for Next ERA's influence peddlers, propagandists and front groups! In a page taken right out of PATH's play book, Next ERA has enlisted Craig Blair to shill for the MARL/Gore-Doubs -Goose Creek project. He's the front man for the astro turf "West Virginian's for Reliable and Affordable Power". Their website even has a petition for you to add your thoughts to.
Maybe ask them how adding 8GW of new and expanding data centers to the grid in Northern Virginia makes West Virginia's grid more reliable?
How does paying over $440M (according to the May 29, 2025 report "West Virginia ratepayers footing the bill for infrastructure build out" by Cathy Kunkel of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis) make energy more affordable for West Virginian?
As always, be sure to tell them where they can stick their transmission lines!
2025 11/17 Underground HVDC Makes the PJM short list - from Southern VA to Data Center Alley
Dominion's proposal for a 185 mile entirely underground HVDC transmission line to bring energy from the south of Virginia to the data centers in Northern Virginia has made the short list.
Underground HVDC is obviously technically feasible. Once again, PJM referred to this as the "biggest bang for our buck" they explicitly cited that they would be able to use the existing easements and followed up with all the technical reasons HVDC is the superior choice. This is the PJM favorite, even though the HVDC underground solution is 1.6x times as expensive as the overhead 765kV proposals - $4.8B vs $2.6B.
We happen to agree its the superior technology, this is exactly that folks here have been saying, citing multiple recent papers on underground HVDC, readily available and linked on our own Underground HVDC page. We have been pushing underground HVDC for MARL/Gore-Doubs-Goose Creek and Valley Link for almost three years now - for all of the exact same technical reasons plus minimizing the impact to national parks, state parks, conservation easements and 6,000+ acres of private property at risk to be taken.
Portfolio 275 1A, the underground HVDC project, proposed by our state energy monopoly Dominion, from an energy generation facility in Virginia to Dominion's customers in Loudoun County's data center alley will be paid for by the standard rate formula - 50% to the Dominion Zone and 50% spread across the rest of the rate payers in PJM. This is the status quo. Other states pay for Loudoun County's economic plan and the energy crisis Loudoun's unconstrained data center development has created. No state other than Virginia will benefit from this line - but they will pay for it.
During the meeting, PJM also announced that the 765kV Valley Link will have a voltage collapse by 2032 - the line they are aware the line they approved last year fails before it is even built. Obviously the overhead HVAC solutions they have put in place thus far are deficient. Will they re-evaluate MARL/Gore Doubs-Goose Creek and Valley Link for a single underground HVDC solution? Nah, they will keep pushing First Energy's 50 year old I765 corporate expansion plan. PJM only selects from the pool of projects proposed - no one proposed an underground HVDC during either of those windows so we get multiple massive overhead lines. PJM "picked the best of the proposals that were submitted" and they are standing by that decision, because they are always right . Until one of the states denies the line(s) then they will be proven wrong and PJM will have to solicit bids for a new solution in a new window.
2025 8/19: Alert: Watch out for a switcheroo!
The 500kV MARL /Gore-Doubs-GooseCreek transmission line has an InService Date of 2032, the 765kV Valley Link transmission line has an InService Date of 2029!!
First Energy is already working on siting the 765kV transmission line! I've heard they expect to have open houses in the Fall. We don't know which transmission line they will be submitting an application to the Virginia SCC for first or the order they will be submitting the applications to the other states!.
2025 8/7: Action: Watch the Installation of a 765kV line on V-Structs with Guyed Wires
Please watch this video of the installation of the Wyoming - Jackson Ferry 765kV transmission line and send it to every elected official in Virginia that you know.
These are the same structures as has been proposed for Valley link and is planned to go through Frederick County, VA from Gore through Clear Brook and on through Clarke County into/through Jefferson County then the Neersville and the Lovettsville area. This is a direct result of the data center policy of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors.
The Wyoming -Jackson Ferry 765kV transmission line is the only 765kV transmission line in Virginia. It connects West Virginia and Virginia and it is 90 miles long. The permitting process for that transmission line began in 1991, the final approval and Environmental Impact Statement from the Forest Service was in 2002 and the line was not energized until June of 2006.
It took fifteen (15) years to site this transmission line that is 1/3 the length of the proposed Valley Link Transmission Line!
2025 7/27 Update: FERC has approved Valley Link's Incentive Rates
Thank you to everyone who wrote letters and / or signed the petition objecting to the incentive rates, these were uploaded to FERC (Docket ER25-1633 Valley Link Incentive Rates). Note that our Virginia Governor Youngkin sent comments in support.
Valley Link had requested a 10.9% return on equity plus an additional .5% for its new membership in PJM Interconnection, for a total interest rate of 11.4%. The project’s $3B cost will be slowly depreciated over perhaps four decades and during that time consumers would pay 11.4% on the remaining balance every year, making the final cost to ratepayers double or triple Valley Link’s actual cost to build.
The Construction Work In Progress (CWIP) in Ratebase incentive combined with the Hypothetical Capital Structure incentive will allow Valley Link to earn extra cash for its project before it is even constructed, all at consumer expense! Valley Link asked the Commission to make consumers “the bank” by loaning Valley Link money during the construction period and also requested that the Commission make consumers “the insurer of last resort” by granting the Abandoned Plant incentive that will charge consumers for Valley Link’s investment in the project even if it is never built! And the Valley Link Proposal had no cost caps! So they can come back every year and increase the cost of the project!
Although Chairman Christie dissented, FERC approved the incentive rates (Construction Work In Progress and Abandoned Plant Incentive) and the .5% for new membership in PJM. FERC set the ROE, formula rate, formula rate protocols and 60/40 Hypothetical Capital Structure incentive for hearing and settlement proceedings. I will be participating and post an update after settlement.
Chairman Christie's dissent stated "another major problem is that FERC’s general practice in granting transmission incentives has become a “check-the-box” exercise.
He continues "For example, I have stated that the Commission’s incentives policies—particularly the CWIP Incentive, which allows recovery of costs before a project has been put into service—run the risk of making consumers “the bank” for the transmission developer; but, unlike a real bank, which gets to charge interest for the money it loans, under our existing incentives policies the consumer not only effectively “loans” the money through the formula rates mechanism, but also pays the utility a profit, known as Return on Equity, or “ROE,” for the privilege of serving as the utility’s de facto lender.
Further, just as the CWIP Incentive effectively makes consumers the bank for transmission developers, the Abandoned Plant Incentive effectively makes them the insurer of last resort as well. This incentive allows transmission developers to recover from consumers the costs of investments in projects that fail to materialize and thus do not benefit consumers. Just as consumers receive no interest for the money they effectively loan transmission developers through the CWIP Incentive, they receive no premiums for the insurance they provide through the Abandoned Plant Incentive if the project is never built. And if the CWIP Incentive is a de facto loan and the Abandoned Plant Incentive is de facto insurance—both provided by consumers—then the RTO participation adder, which increases the transmission owner’s ROE above the market cost of equity capital, is an involuntary gift from consumers. There has been and continues to be something really wrong with this picture."
If you have the time I highly recommend reading Chairman Christie's dissent