Brentsville Residents Rally Against Aboveground Route for Nokesville 230k Transmission Line
Residents in Brentsville and Nokesville, Virginia, held a rally protesting Dominion Energy's proposed aboveground 230kV transmission line, which is intended to power data centers in the Innovation Park area. Protesters, supported by local elected officials, are demanding that the utility company bury the 6.5-mile line to protect small farms and the rural character of the community. The Prince William Board of County Supervisors has already eliminated some proposed routes for the line.
The Civic Association of Brentsville & Surrounding Communities (CABSA) organized a rally at Patriot High School in Nokesville, Virginia, to protest Dominion Energy's proposed Nokesville-Bristow 230kV transmission line. Approximately 50 residents gathered, holding signs and advocating for the burial of the 6.5-mile, 12-story high transmission line, which they claim would harm local farms and private property.
The transmission line is planned to run from a substation in the Innovation Park area to a substation south of Fitzwater Drive, primarily along Route 28, with its main purpose being to supply power to data centers in the industrial zone. Residents like Vida Carroll, a rally organizer, expressed frustration that Dominion Energy has consistently refused to consider a buried option, forcing the community to "sacrifice our property and our pocketbooks to cover the energy needs of the data center industry."
Several elected officials, including State Sens. Jeremy McPike and Danica Roem, State Del. Elizabeth Guzman, and Prince William Chair Deshundra Jefferson, along with former Prince William Planning Commissioner Patti McKay and Coalition to Protect Prince William County Director Elena Sclossberg, spoke in support of the residents. While Dominion Energy had previously eliminated its "blue line" proposal, a route affecting Bristow neighborhoods, Brentsville District residents continue to reject the remaining aboveground alternatives.
A related action by the Prince William Board of County Supervisors saw the unanimous approval of a resolution that eliminated the "blue" and "light blue" routes for Dominion Energy's pending transmission line, indicating a partial win for community opposition.