Board extends planning commission deadline for Tenaska/Tonaska power project after public safety and environmental concerns
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Summary
The board extended the planning commission’s 60‑day deadline for a 'substantial accord' finding on the Tenaska/Tonaska power production project to Jan. 13, 2026; public commenters pressed for stronger enforceable guardrails on noise, water, financial guarantees and monitoring before permitting proceeds.
The Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors on Nov. 5 voted 5-0 to extend the planning commission’s time to issue a 'substantial accord' recommendation on the proposed power production project (referred to in the record as Tonaska/Tenaska) until the Jan. 13, 2026 planning commission meeting so the commission can consider zoning text amendments and the project's special-use permit together.
"Under state code the planning commission has 60 days to make a recommendation...the governing body is allowed to extend that 60-day period," a staff member explained. The extension resolution was moved and approved without recorded dissent.
Public commenters urged the board to require detailed, enforceable and bonded protections before the county advances approvals. Ray Bassi urged technical safeguards, including strict continuous noise limits with 24/7 independent monitoring and automatic curtailment on exceedances; water and drought safeguards tied to USGS/DEQ gauges with a public dashboard for intake/discharge/temperature; no land disturbance until Virginia Water Protection and VPDES permits are final; and financial guardrails, including a minimum PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) guarantee and bond-secured true-ups to make the county's projected revenue reliable.
"A single $10,000,000 dispute because a mistake you make now and have to fix later on would cost $334 per resident in the county," Bassi said, urging the board to codify guardrails in the special-use permit and require applicant-funded independent compliance monitoring.
Board members did not vote on the special-use permit at the Nov. 5 meeting; the extension keeps the public process open and schedules the project for a joint planning commission hearing in January.
