After a blue wave swept over Virginia’s state house Nov. 7, Virginia Dominion Power is facing a radically reconstructed General Assembly — and that could spell trouble for the utility as it pushes a pair of controversial projects in Prince William County.
Candidates all along the ideological spectrum weren’t shy about blasting the company’s business practices and political influence during the campaign, so it seemed a sure bet that the state-regulated monopoly would face a very new climate in Richmond no matter the exact election results. But with 13 candidates who refused any campaign contributions from the company winning seats in the House of Delegates — including five in Prince William—the political landscape looks more perilous for Dominion than it has in a generation.
“I hope what we’re seeing is a new day in Richmond,” said Elena Schlossberg, executive director of the Coalition to Protect Prince William County, a groupfighting against Dominion’s proposal to bring a new power line to Gainesville and Haymarket. “Dominion can either get on board and be willing to be part of that change, or not. But what’s clear is we’re just not going to do what we always do.”
