A group of Prince William lawmakers is pledging to pass legislation next year that would force Dominion Energy to bury the controversial power line that would cut through the county’s western end, though they aren’t sure just yet how they will accomplish that goal.
If they are re-elected Nov. 7, Dels. Tim Hugo, R-40th District, and Bob Marshall, R-13th District, announced Oct. 23 that they plan to introduce a bill compelling the utility company to build the 230-kilovolt transmission line underground so as to minimize its impact on homeowners in Gainesville and Haymarket. The project has encountered a series of delays amid fierce community opposition in recent months, and regulators with the State Corporation Commission have yet to settle on a final route for the power line.
The Prince William Board of County Supervisors and many property owners in the area have been emphatic that Dominion should pursue a “hybrid route” that would partially bury the power line along Interstate 66, and the county has worked to block several other routes to force the utility to consider that option. But the company and state regulators believe burying the line would cost as much as $150 million more than route alternatives. Dominion would pass the cost to its customers in the form of rate hikes, and the utility is currently hoping to build the project on towers running alongside I-66 to reach a Haymarket data center facility.
