Rappahannock Board of Supervisors grill FirstEnergy on Page-Sperryville power line plan
Rappahannock County supervisors and residents are challenging FirstEnergy over its proposed Page-Sperryville transmission line rebuild. Concerns center on the project's visual impact on scenic views, property easements, and potential future support for data center development. Supervisors are demanding more detailed information before the project's application is filed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.
Rappahannock County supervisors, led by Hampton Supervisor Keir Whitson, pressed FirstEnergy Project Director Dan Tompkins for clearer details regarding the proposed Page-Sperryville transmission line rebuild. The Monday meeting at the Rappahannock County Courthouse focused on the project's impact on local properties, scenic views, and the potential for the upgraded infrastructure to facilitate future data center development, despite Tompkins' assurances it is not a "data center project".
Supervisors referenced the county's Comprehensive Plan, emphasizing the need to protect its rural character and viewsheds, and urged FirstEnergy to minimize pole heights, avoid right-of-way expansion, and consider burying portions of the line in Sperryville. Residents and environmental advocates, including Sarah Parmelee of the Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), echoed these concerns during public comment, expressing frustration over perceived lack of transparency and demanding a cost analysis for undergrounding options.
Tompkins defended the proposal as an essential upgrade to aging 40-60 year old infrastructure, stating it would remain a 138 kV line and any capacity increase for data centers would require separate approval. The company, which delayed its Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) application until September, was urged by supervisors like Debbie Donehey and John Genho to provide more precise details, such as exact pole heights and visual renderings, to address community anxieties before the formal public review process begins.