Residents and supervisors urge opposition to Valley Link transmission project

Chairman called the meeting to order and Supervisor Paul Garrett early in the session announced a special meeting Thursday at 5 p.m. on the Valley Link transmission project and said he "formally oppose[s] the Valley Link project in Buckingham County." Several supervisors voiced agreement, raising concerns about impacts to churches, historic graveyards and the rural landscape.

During the public-comment period, residents described the transmission line as serving data centers rather than local needs and urged the board to coordinate with neighboring counties. A longtime intervenor recalled a similar fight in 1992, noting that a prior county resolution and citizen intervention had helped stop a 500 kV proposal. "This is not about keeping our lights on, it's about data centers," one resident said, arguing the project would primarily benefit companies located elsewhere.

Parents and homeowners stressed potential harms to children, property values and health. Santoshi Young, speaking as a mother of two, said she wanted the board to "stand with the families who live here" and to "choose a future that puts people, not profits, first." Don Farrell, whose property lies within 400 yards of the proposed route, said the project had offered little direct benefit to affected counties and urged the supervisors to prepare and amplify a statement of opposition to the State Corporation Commission.

Board members and residents asked staff to add the topic to a dedicated meeting and to coordinate with other counties that have already passed resolutions. The board acknowledged the limits of its authority over state-level siting decisions but said it would use its voice in the regulatory process.

The Thursday special meeting will include another opportunity for public comment; the board did not take a formal local policy vote on the project at this session.