Citing the specter of rolling blackouts on the Peninsula, Dominion Virginia Power wrangled all year for the right to build high-voltage transmission towers across a scenic and historic portion of the James River.
But the state’s biggest utility faced stiff and prolonged opposition from preservationists, property owners and James City County officials loath to see the iconic riverscape marred and leery about possible impacts on the riverine ecosystem, historical artifacts and property values.
The issue still isn’t resolved.
Dominion says it needs the new power lines to get more electricity from the Southside to the Peninsula to make up for the closure of two coal-fired units at its Yorktown power plant in early 2017. Dominion is closing the units to comply with federal emissions restrictions.
To bolster the power grid, it wants to build 17 towers — some of them 300 feet tall — from Surry County to Skiffes Creek in James City County. Without those new power lines, Dominion says to expect rolling blackouts even during mild weather events.
The Surry-Skiffes Creek Project has cleared some hurdles, including winning approval from the State Corporation Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration, which found that the towers wouldn’t pose a hazard to aircraft. It also has the support of many elected officials on the Peninsula concerned about a reliable power grid.
But the project has also galvanized opposition from conservationists such as the Chesapeake Conservancy and the James River Association, preservationists such as Jamestown Rediscovery at Historic Jamestowne and the National Parks Conservation Association, and a host of river residents.
The riverscape still looks much as it did when celebrated explorer Capt. John Smith first saw it in 1607 while establishing the first permanent English colony in the Americas.
It’s up to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to decide the best route for the power lines, if the project moves forward. And the James City County Board of Supervisors must decide if Dominion can build a crucial switching station in the county.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration must also decide if the endangered sturgeon in the river can withstand the impact of transmission towers.
Dietrich can be reached by phone at 757-247-7892.
