Residents urge undergrounding or lower-impact route for Dominion Energy Golden-to-Mars line; county staff to engage SCC process

Dominion Energy has proposed several routing options for a planned Golden-to-Mars transmission project that would include 500-kilovolt and 230-kilovolt circuits, and public speakers at a June 2 joint meeting of the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors and the Loudoun County School Board urged the county to press for undergrounding or, if overhead is required, to choose the route with the least community impact.

The advisory presentation from county staff explained Dominion filed an application with the Virginia State Corporation Commission on March 28 and later added an alternative labeled “3A.” Deputy County Administrator Joe Crowboth said the county and Loudoun County Public Schools have asked engineers and outside counsel to evaluate undergrounding options and that the State Corporation Commission will issue a scheduling order that sets hearings, filings and other milestones in the process.

Why it matters: commenters said some overhead routes would put lines near residences, schools and medical facilities and that early county engagement and technical analysis will shape the case before the SCC. Several speakers warned that if an overhead route within Dominion’s existing right of way is later rejected, Dominion…