Dominion Updated Proposed Valley Link Power Line Routes
The project aims to move 6.6 gigawatts of energy across Virginia to support surging data center power demands.
Updated on Sept. 30, 2026 in Utilities
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Dominion Energy and its partners have released updated route variations for the 115-mile Valley Link Transmission line. The project is designed to carry 765 kilovolts of electricity from the Ohio Valley to Northern Virginia to maintain regional grid reliability.
Why it matters
The project is critical for meeting the high power demands driven by Northern Virginia data centers. Developers have narrowed route paths across nine counties before presenting final plans to the State Corporation Commission.
The planned line will stretch 115 miles with an energy capacity of 6.6 gigawatts. Dominion has earmarked an estimated $1 billion for the construction of this high-voltage transmission infrastructure.
The players
Dominion Energy
This is a major energy provider that serves millions of customers across several states and operates the transmission project.
Louisa County Board of Supervisors
This local governing body represents the interests of residents and has actively challenged the proposed route of the utility line.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
This federal agency is responsible for regulating the interstate transmission of electricity and natural gas.
State Corporation Commission
This state-level regulatory body oversees public utilities and is the authority to which developers must present their final route plans.
PJM
This regional transmission organization coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity and identified this project as critical for grid reliability.
The details
Dominion Energy updated Route 2 to avoid property owned by the Louisa County Board of Supervisors by instead paralleling an existing line in a technology overlay district. Despite these adjustments, Louisa County officials maintain their opposition and have filed a resolution with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Timeline
March 2026: Louisa County filed a resolution against the project.
September 2026: Dominion announced updated route variations.
Fall 2026: The project routes are planned for finalization.
2029: The transmission line is expected to reach completion.
Market Landscape
This project reflects a broader trend of rapid utility infrastructure expansion necessitated by the growth of data centers. It follows the regulatory review process set by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to manage grid reliability across regional boundaries.
Residents in the nine affected counties may see changes to property impacts following the recent route updates. While the line aims to stabilize the power grid, local opposition remains focused on the potential disruption to land and property values.
The takeaway
Large-scale infrastructure projects often face significant local friction regarding land use and property rights. Stakeholders should track upcoming public meetings to understand how future route adjustments may affect local communities.
What happens next
Dominion Energy is scheduled to finalize the project routes in the fall of 2026 and will hold a virtual community meeting shortly thereafter.
Further reading
For more information on infrastructure developments, visit the Virginia Utilities section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Virginia Mercury.
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