A State Corporation Commission (SCC) hearing examiner recommends approval of an experimental underground construction of a 230-kilovolt transmission line in Stafford County.

Date published: 12/12/2007

A State Corporation Commission hearing examiner recommends approval of an experimental underground construction of a 230-kilovolt transmission line in Stafford County, according to a news release from the commission.

Dominion Virginia Power wants to expand utility service between Aquia harbor and a proposed substation near Garrisonville to keep up with customer growth.

But it is being opposed by the county and residents who say the proposed line cuts through dense communities. Instead, they want Dominion to build an underground line.

In a report filed today, Hearing Examiner Michael D. Thomas found that the construction of the new transmission line on a company-owned right-of-way is necessary to maintain long-term reliability and to serve the rapidly growing demand for electricity in the Garrisonville area, the release said. The report serves as a recommendation to the Commission, which makes the final decision.

Thomas observed that the vast majority of residents of Stafford County understand the need for a new transmission line. However, they prefer that the line be placed underground. He states that the only real question for the Commission is whether the new transmission line should be constructed overhead or underground.

The State Corporation Commission heard the case over three days in July.

Then, Dominion attorneys argued that an underground circuit is more expensive and difficult to maintain.

Residents testified steel towers would drive down their property values, pose health risks, and just be an eye sore.

According to today's report, there is a sizeable cost differential between the overhead alternative at $14.16 million and an underground option at $82.3 million. Thomas recommends the Stafford project as a pilot program to assess the average cost per mile for the installation of XLPE underground cable and gain operational reliability and maintenance experience with such a line. The lessons learned from a pilot program potentially benefit all rate payers.

While Dominion's SCC application included an underground option, the company prefers the overhead route. It bought the right-of-way to build the line in the 1960s.

Thomas also recommended the SCC should conduct a study of the impact of overhead transmission lines on real estate values and develop a methodology for use in Commission cases by which any impact could be analyzed and valued.

The Commission will rely on the hearing examiner’s report and the case record to issue a final order. The Commissioners may accept, modify, or reject the examiner’s recommendations, the release said.

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Date published: 12/12/2007