Project improves electric service

Electric service improves for residents in eastern Stafford

Date published: 7/28/2009

Residents of Marlborough Point and along Brooke Road in eastern Stafford County should see fewer power outages thanks to a new underground electric line installed by Dominion Virginia Power.

Dominion recently completed a project that has increased electric service reliability and will reduce outage restoration times for nearly 400 customers in the Marlborough Point and Thorny Point areas. The final phase of the project, which was completed in June, involved installing nearly a mile of electric circuit to not only serve current customers but also make electric service available to future homes.

"This new line should reduce the frequency and the duration of power outages that have been affecting the residents east of Brooke Road," said Aquia District Supervisor Paul Milde, who spearheaded the county's efforts to convince Dominion to install the line promptly. "We finally have a solution in place," he said. "I appreciate very much that Dominion expedited the process and chose to move ahead of a planned development by tunneling along Brooke Road with an alternate feed."

"Dominion is pleased to complete this project and provide improved service to our customers," said Alexander Smith, senior external-affairs manager for Dominion.

For years, residents of the area encompassing Marlborough Point and Thorny Point, a community of approximately 250 homes, had experienced power outages and electric service reliability issues with the sole overhead power line serving the rural area. In January 2005, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution asking Dominion to expeditiously improve the reliability of electric service to residents of the area. Dominion agreed that the quality of service to those residents should be improved, and specific actions were identified to improve service reliability. The new feed line along Brooke Road provides the area with a secondary source of power so that electricity can be restored even before all outage repairs are completed, in many situations.

The new line was energized in late June and is currently providing service to the area.

To maintain the improved electric service, Dominion will continue the extensive tree trimming it has been performing in the area. To minimize exposure to trees and tree-related outages, portions of the overhead line were placed underground in 2007.

Date published: 7/28/2009