MID - ATLANTIC Resiliency Link (MARL)

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One of the reasons for the selected primary route for the MARL transmission line is to use an existing  Appalachian Trail crossing.  There are three highways (Route 7, Route 9 and Route 50) that also cross the Appalachian Trail to the south / south west of the existing Mt. Storm - Doubs transmission line crossing. "Data Center Alley" - the destination for all this power is on Route 7.  Additionally, both Route 7 and Route 9 run directly to / towards "Data Center Alley".  Using highway  easements of any one of these would avoid taking private property to host the MARL transmission line.  NextGen Highways advocates for using existing highway ROWs to co-locate infrastructure such as transmission lines ,they can be contracted with to study the feasibility of routing transmission lines along highways.  In 2022 NextGen Highways did a feasibility study for Minnesota Department of Transportation for Buried High Voltage Direct Current Transmission.  The study concluded buried HVDC is cost competitive.

 HVDC lines can be buried underground in a right of way that is only 5ft wide by 5ft deep and can be used for both long and short distances.  In 2022 NextGen Highways did a feasibility study for Minnesota Department of Transportation for Buried High Voltage Direct Current Transmission.  The study concluded buried HVDC is cost competitive.  There are about seven recent HVDC transmission projects on the United States many of which contain significant segments that are buried.

In state generation lessens the need for inter-state transmission lines.  The most efficient location for building base load generation is close to the energy need which reduces line losses or on the same site previously used for coal fired generation (as the transmission lines already exist).   There are already several combined cycle natural gas generation plants that have been built on sites previously used for coal generation plants.  Although combined cycle natural gas generation is much less polluting than coal, the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy ACT discourages the building of natural gas power plants and mandates  "100 percent renewable mandate by 2050".  This effectively curtails the useful life of a natural gas plant to 25 years. There is also a provision for the utility to include and the commission to consider  "the social cost of carbon" . This calculation is malleable and has no clear standard of measurement . The natural gas energy generation discouragement is further exemplified by the Virginia SCC's rejection of Dominion Energy's Integrated Resource Plan due to its inclusion of new natural gas generation: 

"Berkebile noted that the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, which requires decarbonization of the grid by 2050, states that if Dominion wants a new carbon-emitting generation source, it must prove that energy conservation goals have been met and that building new sources of generation is more affordable than relying on other solutions. 

In state generation lessens the need for inter-state transmission lines.  The most efficient location for building base load generation is close to the energy need which reduces line losses or on the same site previously used for coal fired generation (as the transmission lines already exist).   Small Modular Nuclear can be built on-site of retired coal generation plants or on site at data centers . These are based on the same technology that powers nuclear submarines.  There are many designs in progress and several prototype sites in the US. However ,  the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act  removed the provision that declared that planning and development activities for new nuclear generation facilities are in the public interest.