The Loudoun County Planning Commission on Oct. 28 voted 8-0-1 to recommend approval of CPAM 02/4005, the Electrical Infrastructure Comprehensive Plan Amendment, forwarding the draft map and policy language to the Board of Supervisors for final action.

The amendment would add an electrical infrastructure map and a suite of policy changes to the county’s 2019 General Plan to guide where and how high-voltage transmission corridors are sited, encourage use of existing corridors and technologies that increase capacity, and identify locations where undergrounding, enhanced design, or mitigation measures should be prioritized. Staff told the commission the changes are intended to give the county clearer policy positions when it participates in reviews by state and regional regulators.

Pat Giulio, Department of Planning and Zoning, summarized the staff recommendation and introduction of the draft map and policies and said staff "supports a recommendation of approval." Paul Vernon, project manager with Kimley-Horn, summarized the consultant memorandum and told commissioners, "we're not here to talk tonight about individual transmission projects, but we are here to talk about how the proposed draft amendments to the general plan can help guide future decisions." The presentation noted Loudoun's rapid electric demand growth linked to data centers and reviewed national and regional regulatory roles including FERC, PJM and the State Corporation Commission (SCC).

Why it matters: commissioners and staff emphasized the limited formal authority counties have over transmission siting in Virginia. The SCC has regulatory authority over public utilities and final route decisions, but the SCC may consider local comprehensive plans if the county requests it. The CPAM is county policy, not regulation, and would not bind the SCC; commissioners said adding a clear map and policy language improves the county's ability to advocate for particular routes, undergrounding in sensitive areas, and other mitigations.

Key policy elements and technical findings presented
- The draft map identifies existing and approved high-voltage corridors across the county and is paired with policies that: prioritize efficient use of existing corridors; plan infrastructure adjacent to compatible land uses; minimize impacts through siting, routing and design; encourage reconductoring and voltage upgrades; and support passive trails and natural areas in rights-of-way.
- Reconductoring and newer conductor technologies can increase capacity of existing lines (the presentation cited capacity increases “up to 280%” for some upgrades).
- Undergrounding is described as a mitigation tool for short, strategic distances (most commonly at 230 kV); presenters said underground transmission is rare nationally for long high-voltage routes and can be roughly 4–14 times more expensive than overhead lines.
- Tower heights discussed ranged roughly from 125 to 180 feet and rights-of-way widths from about 100 to 500 feet, depending on design and voltage.

Public outreach and comment
Staff described outreach that included a July 23 community meeting at the Douglas Community Center in Leesburg (21 attendees) and an online comment form that received 18 submissions to date. Emily Johnson, representing the Piedmont Environmental Council, spoke during public comment and praised staff work while urging stronger, more actionable environmental protections in strategy language; she asked that the existing underground 230 kV segment between Percival and Leesburg be explicitly shown on the map and requested more explicit actions to avoid or mitigate impacts to habitat, floodplains and waterways.

Commissioners’ questions and clarifications
Commissioners pressed staff on several topics that reflect public concerns and implementation limits: whether the CPAM would change SCC authority (staff: it would not), how health concerns related to transmission lines are handled (staff and the memorandum said the SCC does not evaluate purported health effects and that existing studies are inconclusive), and technical feasibility and cost of undergrounding (staff and consultant: feasible in limited, strategic locations, rarely used for 500 kV lines and substantially more expensive). Commissioners asked that the map include clearer references and links to the county GIS layers so the public can identify specific corridor locations and distinctions between overhead and underground segments; staff agreed to add clarifying notes and referenced the county’s GIS layers.

Next steps and outcome
Commissioner Myers moved to approve the resolution recommending approval of CPAM 02/4005; Commissioner Miller seconded. The commission carried the motion 8-0-1 (Commissioner Jasper absent) and forwarded the CPAM, including the proposed electrical infrastructure map and policy amendments, to the Board of Supervisors for final consideration. Staff and the consultant noted Phase 1 is intended to strengthen policy and mapping; Phase 2, anticipated to begin in 2026, will address proactive long-term corridor planning and related matters such as substations and design standards.

While the CPAM adds county policy guidance and a visual map to guide siting and advocacy, it does not change SCC regulatory authority over transmission approvals; commissioners and staff repeatedly noted that the amendment is intended to improve the county’s position when participating in state and regional reviews rather than to preempt those processes.