In an effort to combat the Valley Link Transmission Line Project and other potential transmission infrastructure projects in the future, the Louisa County Board of Supervisors (BoS) unanimously approved amendments to the 2040 Louisa County Comprehensive Plan at its May 18 meeting.

The addendum to the comp plan addresses the siting and evaluation of electric transmission infrastructure, providing a framework that aligns with the County’s long-term land use, growth management, and rural preservation goals. In the memorandum to the BoS from Deputy County Administrator Chris Coon, the purpose and background — like the continued growth pressures alongside increasing regional demand for infrastructure to support energy reliability — are addressed, with standards that the State Corporation Commission (SCC) would have to consider.

Discussion about transmission lines in Louisa County have largely been a result of the Joshua Falls-Yeat Electric Transmission Line Project — a 115-mile, 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line that is planned to cut through 20 miles in Louisa County and extend from Campbell to Culpeper County, crossing nine counties to meet Virginia’s growing energy needs. The project is a joint venture between Dominion Energy, First-Energy Transmission and Transource, operating as the Valley Link Transmission Company. Valley Link plans to submit its formal application to the SCC in September which will begin a regulatory review and public comment process that is expected to last roughly a year with a final decision potentially made in September 2027.

Coon highlighted to the board that this comp plan gives Louisa County — and any other impacted counties who choose to establish their own siting guidelines — a seat at the table when the SCC makes their decisions.

“This sets a range of parameters that whenever the SCC is reviewing potential transmission lines through a locality, they make consideration of how well the plan is in accordance with the comprehensive plan,” Coon said. “We think this strengthens our position, not only for Valley Link which is being proposed currently, but also any future transmission lines that may come in the future, that they will use this as their guiding document as what we would prefer.”

In the policy overview, the proposed addendum establishes a “corridor-first approach” that prioritizes use of existing transmission corridors, utility easements and public rights-of-way and encourages co-location and consolidation of infrastructure.

The policy encourages an avoidance and minimization of impacts that protects residential areas, agricultural and forestal lands, scenic rural landscapes, environmental resources, and conservation easements and historic resources; the policy encourages applicants to evaluate alternatives and analyze multiple routing options, demonstrate impact minimization, and justify the creation of new corridors when proposed. The policy reinforces directing growth into designated growth areas, preserving rural lands outside those areas, and avoiding infrastructure decisions that undermine long-term planning goals.

Earlier this month, the Louisa BoS put up $250,000 to support legal expenses associated with the Valley Link Transmission Line Project, following a similar action by the Goochland BoS the month prior. Mineral District Supervisor and Chairman Duane Adams stated that based on the multi-county summit held earlier this year with other impacted counties, they are also looking at language to update their comprehensive plans.

“…we’ve had some people that say that this [addendum] doesn’t go far enough and they felt that we should have much stronger language and require certain things,” Coon said. “What will happen is if the SCC deems it’s not reasonable standards, they very well might throw everything out…that’s the risk you run of being too strong. What we did here is as you can review it, it gives them something that every single transmission line is going to have to justify why they routed it this way… this gives us a seat at the table and prevents us from not being considered because [of] unrealistic expectations in the comprehensive plan.”

Two local residents spoke during public comment, Jackson District resident Amy Ware and Mineral District resident Chris Liles, who both commended the board for their action against the Valley Link Transmission Line Project. The BoS unanimously approved the resolution.

On Tuesday, June 23, Valley Link will host a community open house at the Betty Queen Center from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. According to a Valley Link press release, they will release newly updated routes in late May and the purpose of the open house is to review the new routes and continue to collect feedback from impacted residents. The Betty Queen Center is located at 522 Industrial Drive.