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Frederick County planning commission finds NextEra’s Woodside Substation “in substantial accord” with comprehensive plan amid heavy public opposition
Summary
After two hours of public comment and detailed questioning of NextEra, the Frederick County Planning Commission voted 8–3 on Oct. 1, 2025, to find the proposed Woodside Substation substantially in accord with the county comprehensive plan, a determination required under Virginia Code §15.2-2232. Residents raised concerns about buffers, noise, lighting and property values.
The Frederick County Planning Commission voted 8–3 on Oct. 1 to find NextEra Energy Transmission’s proposed Woodside Substation substantially in accord with the county’s comprehensive plan, clearing a key procedural hurdle under state law for the by-right utility project.
The decision came after a staff presentation, attorneys and engineers for NextEra explained the project’s technical function, commissioners asked detailed questions about setbacks, buffers and equipment, and more than two hours of public comment in which dozens of nearby residents urged the commission to oppose the site. The commission’s affirmative finding is limited to the 2232 review — whether the location, character and extent of the facility substantially conform to the county’s comprehensive plan — and does not authorize construction; site-plan review and other agency approvals will follow.
Why it mattered: NextEra says the Woodside Substation is part of PJM’s Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link, connecting an existing Dominion 500-kilovolt transmission line and providing an additional 500 kV source to the local 138 kV network to improve regional reliability.…
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