West Virginia landowners oppose power line for Northern Virginia data centers
Rural West Virginia landowners, including Erica Reiner, are actively opposing the ValleyLink North power line project. This ultra-high-voltage transmission line is planned to cross 200 miles of West Virginia countryside, including private farms, to address the immense electricity demands of data centers in Loudoun County, Virginia. Opponents, organized by groups like West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice, are fighting against the potential use of eminent domain and the environmental impact of the massive towers.
Rural West Virginia landowners are fiercely opposing the proposed ValleyLink North power line project, which aims to address the critical electricity shortage for data centers in Northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley," primarily in Loudoun County. The project involves constructing an ultra-high-voltage 765-kilovolt transmission line, featuring massive 185-foot steel towers that would cut a 200-foot-wide path across more than 200 miles of West Virginia countryside. Farmers like Erica Reiner, who invested her life savings into Huckleberry Farm in Charles Town, fear losing significant portions of their land through eminent domain and suffering from the visual and environmental impact.
Tony Campbell, head of West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice, is leading the fight against ValleyLink North, highlighting concerns that the power line will devastate properties and ruin scenic views in Appalachia. Another affected landowner, Terri Sojak-Lock, fears her property overlooking the Shenandoah Valley, intended for a wedding venue, will become worthless if split by the power line. A spokesperson for ValleyLink acknowledged the need for tall towers for safety reasons due to the ultra-high voltage and stated that West Virginians would benefit from nearly $14 million in annual property tax revenue. The company prefers