Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Energy Transmission topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff brief board on PJM regional transmission planning and potential 765 kV line
Summary
County staff updated supervisors on PJM regional transmission planning that could propose 765‑kilovolt transmission lines paralleling existing 500 kV routes; timeline calls for PJM recommendations in Q1 and possible SCC review in 2026.
County staff briefed the Louisa County Board of Supervisors on a PJM regional transmission planning process that could affect the county’s eastern corridor.
Staff summarized a planning map provided by PJM, the regional transmission organization that oversees power transmission in Virginia and other states. The presentation noted PJM is at an early, high‑level planning stage and that mapped features use substation names rather than county boundaries. Staff said the planning work was focused on large‑scale infrastructure needs—citing increasing demand in northern and eastern Virginia driven by data centers and electrification trends—and that PJM is considering development of 765‑kilovolt (kV) lines that are larger than many existing local lines.
A rough route shown in PJM materials could parallel an existing 500‑kV corridor near the county’s eastern side; where existing easements are available PJM or a developer might seek to use or parallel those easements, staff said. Staff emphasized there is no final route, no SCC filing yet and the county does not have a formal role at the PJM planning stage. PJM is expected to finalize recommendations later in the first quarter of 2025; any project would then proceed to the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), probably in 2026 if PJM recommendations advance. Construction, if approved, would likely occur in the early 2030s, according to the timeline shared by staff.
Board members and residents asked questions about potential impacts on historic Green Springs and farmland, and asked how residents can track the PJM process. Staff recommended citizens follow PJM public meetings and said the county will share materials and guidance about how to participate; staff also said the county would have a more direct role and more public comment opportunities at the SCC review stage.
Ending: Staff said it will monitor PJM activity, share relevant materials with the board and provide guidance on public engagement when a project advances to the SCC or when more detailed route information becomes available.
