Fauquier planning commission recommends denial of Dominion’s Morrisville substation expansion

The Fauquier County Planning Commission voted on Oct. 16 to recommend that the Board of Supervisors deny special exception SPEX-25024701, an application by Dominion Energy to expand the Morrisville substation in the Lee District.

The recommendation follows a public hearing that included presentations from county staff, Dominion representatives and several residents who urged denial, citing the county’s comprehensive plan, proximity to Mary Walter Elementary School and concern about wider regional transmission projects that could use the expanded facility.

County staff described the application as a Category 20 special exception to expand the existing Morrisville substation by about three acres adjacent to the existing roughly 10-acre facility off Shipstore Road in the village of Morrisville. Staff said the expansion would accommodate upgrades to 230 kV and 500 kV terminal equipment and the termination of new transmission lines that are part of the larger Morrisville–Wishing Star project. The project was described as needed to maintain reliability under NERC reliability standards and PJM transmission planning criteria, and Dominion representatives said construction could begin in 2027.

Staff noted site details and mitigation measures in the application: a proposed…