Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transmission Corridor Amendment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Buckingham planning commission sends electric transmission corridor amendment to public hearing
Summary
The commission introduced an amendment to add an electric transmission corridor element to Buckingham County’s 2025–2030 comprehensive plan, citing pending regional projects and Virginia code that gives corridor designations evidentiary weight before the State Corporation Commission; the measure was set for a June 22 public hearing.
The Buckingham County Planning Commission on Tuesday introduced a proposed amendment to the county’s 2025–2030 comprehensive plan to designate electric transmission corridors and voted unanimously to set a public hearing for June 22, 2026.
Zoning administrator Nikki Edmondson told commissioners the amendment would add a new policy area (No. 10) that identifies candidate corridors for transmission lines of 150 kilovolts or greater and related colocation with existing pipelines. Edmondson said the proposal is authorized by Virginia Code §15.2‑2223(c)(8) and that corridor designations carry evidentiary weight in State Corporation Commission certification proceedings under Va. Code §56‑46.1(a), though the code does not give the county a veto over siting decisions.
Edmondson said two timing factors motivated the move: a Dominion Energy Virginia/Transource joint project tied to the Joshua Falls/ValleyLink substation that proposes roughly 20 miles of new transmission through Buckingham, and recommendations in PJM Interconnection’s regional transmission plan calling for a wider high‑voltage buildout across central Virginia. Staff presented HIFLD‑based maps showing existing 130 kV and 230 kV lines through parts of the county and noted that Buckingham currently has no 500 kV or 765 kV lines.
Edmondson also described the statutory notice and consultation steps staff will take, including the 10‑day written notice to utilities required by Va. Code §15.2‑2204 and coordination with Dominion Energy Virginia and Appalachian Power (AEP) under §15.2‑2202(e). Attachments provided to commissioners included the proposed plan language, maps, and line attribute data.
A commissioner moved to send the amendment to public hearing; the motion was seconded and the commission voted unanimously to schedule the June hearing. Staff told the commission the planning commission’s recommendation will go to the Board of Supervisors for action in July, with final adoption expected at the board’s August meeting if the process proceeds as outlined.
The public hearing will allow utilities, landowners, and citizens to comment on the proposed corridor designations and any associated maps or conditions before the planning commission issues its recommendation to the board.
