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Buckingham supervisors authorize letter to PJM opposing Valley Link changes
Summary
After weeks of public pressure, the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to direct county attorneys to send a draft letter to PJM expressing the county’s concerns about proposed Valley Link scope changes and the project’s potential impact on rural land and watersheds.
Chairman Joe N. Chambers Jr. and the Buckingham County Board of Supervisors voted June 8 to authorize the county attorney and county administrator to send a draft letter to PJM raising concerns about the Valley Link Joshua Falls–Yeat transmission project.
The action followed an extended public comment period in which residents from multiple districts urged the board to oppose Valley Link and requested coordinated steps including a county webpage, outreach to state legislators and direct written input to PJM. Amy Crawford (District 4) told the board, “No issue in this county is more important than this,” and urged supervisors to press PJM to review scope changes carefully.
The board entered a closed executive session under Va. Code §2.2‑3711(A)(7) for legal consultation about probable litigation and returned to public session, where the motion to send the letter passed unanimously. Supervisor Paul W. Garrett, who moved the action, said the step was to ensure Buckingham’s concerns were recorded with the regional stakeholder process at PJM.
Why it matters: Residents and landowners say the proposed high‑voltage line and associated infrastructure threaten farmland, watersheds and the county’s rural character; PJM’s stakeholder process has limited formal input channels for non‑utility participants. Several speakers asked the board to act before PJM’s July decision on scope changes.
Next steps: County officials will finalize and send the draft letter to PJM; supervisors said they will continue to engage regionally and encourage residents to participate in upcoming local meetings about Valley Link. The board did not announce additional specific regulatory actions at the June 8 meeting.
Ending: The board’s unanimous vote formalizes Buckingham County’s objections at the regional level; supervisors said they would follow up publicly as the PJM timeline advances.
