Residents raise opposition to proposed Valley North transmission line
Residents in West Virginia, particularly in Barbour County, are actively opposing the proposed 260-mile Valley North Project transmission line, a joint venture by First Energy Transmission, Dominion Energy, and Transource Energy. They cite concerns over property impacts, decreased property values, and the belief that West Virginia is serving as an "extension cord" for data centers in Northern Virginia and Maryland. Developers argue the lines are crucial for regional grid reliability and to meet growing power demands, including those from data centers, alongside population growth and retiring generation capacity.
Residents in Barbour County, West Virginia, are mobilizing against the proposed Valley North Project, a 260-mile, 765 KV transmission line that would span 15 West Virginia counties from Putnam County to Frederick County, Maryland. The project is a joint venture of Valley Link, comprising First Energy Transmission, Dominion Energy, and Transource Energy, a division of American Electric Power. Homeowners like Amy Rollins of Belington expressed devastation, noting that one of the five proposed routes in Barbour County passes within 30 feet of her home and through 70 acres of her family's farm.
Opposition members echo criticisms leveled against the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) project, arguing that the Valley North Project offers no benefit to West Virginia and instead uses the state as an "extension cord" to power data centers, specifically in Northern Virginia and Maryland. They fear increased electric bills, decreased property values, and significant land loss. Rollins has organized community meetings, stressing the need for statewide unity to fight the project, with ongoing public meetings being held in various counties including Jefferson, Berkeley, Hampshire, Tucker, Hardy, Lewis, and Upshur.
Lauren Siburkis, spokesperson for the Valley North Project, acknowledged property impacts as a primary concern and stated the companies are committed to working respectfully with landowners. However, she refuted the claim that the project solely benefits data centers, explaining that it is designed to build a stronger regional grid to support local economic development, new infrastructure, and maintain current electric service. Siburkis clarified that while data centers contribute to grid strain, it's also due to electrification, population growth, and retiring generation capacity. She emphasized that no final route has been chosen, and any selected path would require approval from the West Virginia Public Service Commission.