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Louisa County supervisors unanimously oppose Valley Link’s proposed 765‑kV Joshua Falls–Yeet line
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Summary
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a resolution in March 2026 opposing Valley Link’s proposed Joshua Falls–Yeet 765‑kilovolt transmission line, saying roughly 20 miles of new corridor through the county and 160‑foot lattice towers would harm rural character and nearby homes.
The Louisa County Board of Supervisors on a unanimous voice vote approved a resolution in March 2026 formally opposing the Valley Link Joshua Falls–Yeet 765‑kilovolt transmission line proposed to pass through the county.
Clerk reading the measure said the project—described in the text as a 115‑mile regional transmission line proposed by Valley Link, a joint venture of Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy Transmission and TransSource Energy—would include approximately 20 miles of new corridor across Louisa County, use steel lattice structures approaching 160 feet in height and require permanently cleared right‑of‑way. The resolution says an overhead 765‑kilovolt line "would cause significant and irreparable harm to Louisa County's rural character, agricultural heritage, and forest lands," and would pass within about 500 feet of numerous homes, decreasing property values for hundreds of residents.
The board’s document also asserts the line is intended to transmit bulk power to meet demand outside Louisa County and "will provide no direct benefit to the residents [or] businesses of Louisa County," text read into the record by the Clerk said. The agricultural, forestal and rural preservation committee recommended that the board oppose the currently proposed overhead route and asked the Virginia State Corporation Commission to evaluate alternatives, including undergrounding, to mitigate environmental, aesthetic and health impacts.
A Committee member placed additional wording and context on the record, saying the board was not in favor of the project and urging stronger language to make clear the county opposes the line coming through Louisa County at all. "We couldn't be any more opposed to it than you are," the Committee member said, adding that the project "is a transmission line" that would pass through the county rather than deliver electricity to it.
The Chair noted that the Louisa County school board, planning commission and the Ag and Forestal District have each adopted similar stances and said the county will send letters to leaders and administrators of the seven impacted counties and offer to host a regional summit to coordinate opposition. "We are united in this fight," the Chair said.
At the close of the discussion the Chair called for a vote; members responded "Aye" and the motion to adopt the resolution passed unanimously. The transcript does not record a mover or seconder or individual roll‑call vote totals. The resolution directs staff to forward copies to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the governor of Virginia, Louisa County's representatives and the Virginia General Assembly and urges Valley Link and the SCC to prioritize alternatives that avoid impacts to Louisa County or, at minimum, require underground placement to mitigate harm.
The board did not specify a timeline for sending the resolution or for any follow‑up regional summit in the transcript. The resolution and the board members’ remarks frame the vote as an opening step in coordinated regional advocacy rather than a regulatory decision by state authorities.
