Dominion Energy to replace wooden poles with galvanized steel along Hardeeville–Bluffton line; work to finish by July

Bluffton — Dominion Energy told Bluffton’s Town Council on March 11 it will replace wooden poles with self-supporting galvanized steel structures along a 15-mile transmission corridor from Hardeeville into Bluffton to increase resiliency and meet modern electric codes.

Miss Blakely, a Dominion Energy representative, said the project — part of a multi-year permitting and design process begun in 2022 and with construction work that began in 2024 on other sections — will start next week in the town at the Pritchardville substation and run to the Burnt Church Road substation. She said the line will be rebuilt within existing rights-of-way and is designed to withstand hurricane-level winds and last about 50 years.

Dominion told council it expects minimal impacts to traffic and the environment, minimal noise (work mostly during weekdays/business hours), and only limited service interruptions. The company said it will coordinate daily with town staff and the South Carolina Department of Transportation for any necessary traffic control.

Council members asked whether Dominion has analyzed undergrounding segments of the line. Blakely said the new transmission structures will be overhead; undergrounding is nonstandard and would require a separate cost analysis on a section-by-section basis. Dominion offered to run scenarios if the town identified specific sections for review.

A council member also asked if the line will operate as a loop feed; Dominion confirmed there is a transmission transfer switch between the two substations so an outage in one section can be isolated and power rerouted.

Dominion emphasized its goal is increased reliability and resilience for Bluffton residents and businesses; company representatives offered to provide additional cost/feasibility analysis on undergrounding if council requests it.