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Fluvanna County adopts resolution opposing 765 kV Valley Link transmission line after presentation and extended public comment
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Summary
After a presentation by a Valley Link representative and lengthy public comment, the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors on April 1 adopted a resolution opposing the proposed Valley Link Joshua Falls–Yeat 765 kV transmission line, citing environmental, visual, health and property-value concerns; the vote was 5–0.
Chair Anthony P. O’Brien and the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on April 1 to adopt Resolution No. 12‑2026 formally opposing the Valley Link Joshua Falls–Yeat Electric Transmission Line Project.
The action followed a presentation by Adam McGuire, identified in the record as a Dominion Energy representative for Valley Link, who described the project as an approximately 115‑mile, 765‑kilovolt transmission line supported by steel lattice structures about 135–160 feet tall and requiring a typical cleared right‑of‑way of roughly 200 feet. McGuire said the route was selected through regional transmission planning and approved by the regional grid operator PJM as addressing long‑term reliability needs; he also noted routing constraints that include homes, scenic and historic resources, environmental areas, public lands and conservation easements.
County Attorney Dan Whitten introduced a draft resolution that characterized the project as imposing financial, environmental, visual and health impacts on Fluvanna County, and asserted the project would harm property values and the county’s rural character, with downstream effects on the county budget and services. The Board voted 5–0 to adopt the resolution and to forward copies to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the Governor of Virginia and the County’s representatives in the Virginia General Assembly.
Public comment before and after the vote was extensive: during two public‑comment periods a long list of named county residents registered opposition to the project and raised concerns about impacts to property values, quality of life, and the county’s natural and agritourism assets. The minutes record dozens of speakers who opposed the project; the board’s resolution cites resident concern as part of its rationale.
At the meeting’s unfinished‑business stage, Supervisor D. Mike Goad requested the resolution be amended to add the words “historical” and “cultural” to paragraph four. Supervisor John M. (Mike) Sheridan moved to reconsider the previous vote; the reconsideration passed 4–0 with Supervisor Timothy M. Hodge recorded as absent for that procedural vote. The amendment to insert “historical” and “cultural” then passed 5–0.
The resolution record names Valley Link Transmission Company LLC as a joint venture of Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy Transmission and Transource Energy and states the line would span multiple counties including Fluvanna. The Board’s resolution urges Valley Link and the Virginia State Corporation Commission to seek alternatives that do not affect the welfare, health or beauty of Fluvanna County.
Votes at a glance - Resolution No. 12‑2026 (oppose Valley Link Joshua Falls–Yeat Electric Transmission Line Project): Adopted 5–0. - Consent agenda items (minutes, supplemental appropriations, school CIP reappropriation, professional services contracts, VACorp insurance claims, CRMF storm expenses, ADA walkway item): Approved 5–0 (see minutes for full list of items and staff contacts).
What happens next The resolution will be forwarded to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, the Governor and the county’s General Assembly representatives. Supervisors also asked staff and Valley Link representatives some follow‑up questions at the meeting and directed that a related resolution requesting a change to HB1491 setbacks be placed on the April 8 agenda for Board consideration.