Massive Eli Lilly project in Goochland awaits SCC approval of new Dominion transmission line
Eli Lilly's $5 billion pharmaceutical plant in Goochland, VA, has been delayed due to the lack of sufficient electricity. Dominion Energy is seeking approval from the State Corporation Commission for an $87 million transmission line and substation project to power the facility, with the decision also impacting potential future data center developments in the area. The proposed routes are facing opposition from a developer, Asgard Broad Street Properties I LLC, whose mixed-use project would be adversely impacted.
Eli Lilly's planned $5 billion pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Goochland, Virginia, has seen construction stalled for nine months, with the primary holdup identified as a lack of sufficient electrical infrastructure. Dominion Energy is seeking approval from the State Corporation Commission (SCC) for an $87 million project, including a new double-circuit, 230-kilovolt transmission line and substation, deemed crucial by Goochland County officials to supply the necessary 33-37 megawatts to the Lilly site.
During an all-day SCC hearing, officials, including Goochland County Administrator Jeremy Raley and EDA Chair Ben Slone, emphasized the critical need for the transmission line for the Lilly project. The SCC staff concurred that existing substations cannot handle the projected load. Dominion's preferred "Route 3" for the transmission line, which runs 6.5 miles, also aims to support general residential and commercial growth, and critically, three potential data center developments for which Dominion has received Engineering Letters of Authorization (ELOAs). The Goochland County has received a conditional use permit application for one of these, the proposed Tuckahoe Technology Park.
However, the proposed Route 3 faces opposition from Asgard Broad Street Properties I LLC, a developer planning the 44-acre Tuckahoe Creek Village mixed-use project. Asgard's lawyer, Cody Murphey, argued that Route 3 would "significantly and adversely impact" their development and proposed an alternative modification. Goochland Supervisor Charlie Vaughters supported Asgard's concerns. Conversely, lawyers for Gardener Nursery, a nearby business, argued that Asgard's proposed modification would negatively affect their property. The SCC hearing adjourned without consensus, with a ruling anticipated later this summer, which will determine the future timeline for both the Lilly plant and potentially these data center projects.