Electric Utility Considers New Options for High-Voltage Line

Dominion Virginia Power is considering three alternative routes for a 40-mile power line that sparked protests in Northern Virginia.

The 500,000-volt line, which would transmit electricity between substations in Frederick and Loudoun counties, drew opposition from environmental and historical groups, businesses and residents, including actor Robert Duvall, who lives nearby.

Richmond-based Dominion Virginia Power says the line is needed to deliver power to fast-growing Northern Virginia. Opponents say it will detract from the region’s rural and historic character and overwhelm neighborhoods along the route.

The alternatives “are a direct result of our conversations with the people who came to our workshops last fall and continue to contact us,” Paul D. Koonce, Dominion Energy’s chief executive officer, said in a statement.

“All of these alternatives have their challenges, but they are worth studying alongside the planned route segments we displayed at the workshops,” he said.

Without the power line, according to Dominion Virginia Power, Northern Virginia could face the possibility of rolling blackouts as soon as 2011.

THREE ALTERNATE ROUTES

Along Interstate 66

–The proposal: The line would leave the Meadow Brook substation on an existing transmission corridor to join I-66 near Front Royal. The transmission line would be along the interstate until nearing Manassas Battlefield Park.

–Company reaction: This route would ease many private, historical and cultural landowner concerns while providing the long- term solution the company seeks and at about the same cost to customers.

–Drawback: Transmission towers would be slightly taller than the ones planned for the overhead routes shown at the workshops.

Existing corridor alternative

–The proposal: The line would leave the Meadow Brook substation on an existing corridor, running south to the Morrisville substation in southern Fauquier County near Dominion Virginia Power’s Remington Power Station. It then would run north along another existing transmission corridor, passing next to Manassas Battlefield Park and traveling farther north to the Loudoun substation.

–Company reaction: The route would guarantee reliability in Northern Virginia only through the 2013 summer if demand projections do not increase more than planned.

–Drawback: The route is longer – about 68 miles compared to about 40 miles for the original segments. It also would be more expensive – an estimated $210 million vs. $150 million.

The underground alternative

–The line: A transmission line buried in Frederick, Fauquier, Loudoun and Prince William counties.

–Company reaction: Putting the transmission line underground would provide the reliability necessary for the region, but it would be the most expensive alternative, costing about $1.7 billion.

–Drawback: The line would be a high-voltage direct current underground line rather than an alternating current overhead line. It also would require a 30-foot right of way and 10-acre sites at each end with seven-story buildings to house the equipment necessary to convert the currents.

ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO

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