Valley Link North (Amos - Welton Springs - Rocky Point) 765kV
This proposal is a 261-mile, 765kV transmission line on a new 200' easement for its entire length. A minimum of 6,328 acres of private property will be taken for this line! This joint proposal by FirstEnergy, American Electric Power and Dominion Energy is based on "cheaper" Guyed V-lattice tower construction. This is the biggest overhead HVAC structure and line available. Guyed V-lattice towers are possibly the foulest, most land use restrictive, intensive and invasive electric infrastructure available! These structures are 40' x 40' wide!
It starts at the John Amos power station in Putnam County, West Virginia and runs through :
- 20 counties in West Virginia - Putnam, Kanawha, Roane, Calhoun, Braxton, Lewis, Upshur, Barbour, Tucker, Preston, Grant, Hardy, Hampshire and Jefferson, Harrison, Jackson, Gilmer, Doddridge, Randolph and Hardy. There will be a new 765kV substation in Hardy County. The new substation is named Welton Springs
- 3 counties in Virginia - Clarke, Frederick and Loudoun and
- 2 counties in Maryland - Garrett and Frederick It will terminate in Frederick County, Maryland at a new substation south of the existing Doubs substation. The new substation is named Rocky Point.
The proposal is nearly identical to the Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) project that we defeated in 2012. The proposal states it is to be built by 2029 to meet data center load demands.
This line would also cross the Monongahela National Forest, Appalachian National Scenic Trail, Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park,Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail and it will run parallel down the view shed of the Potomac River . It will severely impact / destroy the scenic and historic value of these assets. Read the NEPA Scoping analysis from the defeated PATH Line.
This is being routed through the same area in North Western Loudoun County that is the target of the proposed new 500kV transmission line (MARL / Gore-Doubs- Goose Creek) that was approved by PJM’s Board of Managers in August of 2024. Frederick and Clarke counties and neighboring Jefferson County, West VA and Frederick County, Maryland are also similarly affected by both transmission lines.
Once again, this new 765kV transmission project is for the sole purpose of powering new data centers in eastern Loudoun - another transmission extension cord to West Virginia. At best this is a partial / temporary solution to the present projected energy shortfall in Loudoun County. With the recent JLARC Data Center Study done for the Virginia Legislature its clear that Virginia cannot import its way out of its self imposed energy crisis.
See the Valley Link North Project Site for additional information. (Maps Available here )
Valley Link South (Joshua Falls - Yeat) 765kV
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
If you are in Southern Virginia Contact your local opposition group(s) :
See the Valley Link South Project Site for additional information. (Maps have not been posted yet, but you can enter comments and open houses are being scheduled)
