Jefferson County Group Opposes Valley Link Transmission Project as Officials Consider Data Center Guardrails
A Jefferson County coalition opposing the proposed Valley Link transmission line says a poll found 70% of residents surveyed oppose the project. The article also reports that Charles Town and Jefferson County officials are developing proposed data center guardrails addressing water and power use, transmission infrastructure, land use, environmental impacts and other community concerns.
A coalition of Jefferson County farmers and residents opposing the proposed 260-mile Valley Link transmission line says polling by Rex Repass and Research America found that 70% of respondents in 20 affected counties oppose the project. Coalition leader Dan McGinn said the line would cross more than 6,000 acres and primarily serve data center demand in Loudoun County, Virginia. Valley Link has not selected a route and expects to present a proposed alternative to utility regulators in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland in 2027.
Separately, the Charles Town Council and Jefferson County Commission are considering a Good Neighbor Data Center Guardrails proposal. A recent public hearing solicited local input on potential data center impacts, including water and electricity use, transmission infrastructure, roads, emergency services, land use, noise, lighting, environmental effects, housing and fiscal impacts. The article does not report final adoption of the guardrails.