General Assembly Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Create Pilot Program to Place Major Transmission Lines Underground

RICHMOND, VA - Today, the Virginia General Assembly passed Senate Bill ("SB") 827, sponsored by Senator Kannan Srinivasan (SD-32), and companion legislation, House Bill ("HB") 1487, sponsored by Delegate JJ Singh (HD-26), to establish a pilot program allowing for the placement of 500 kilovolt ("kV") transmission lines underground.

This legislation is in direct response to rapidly growing energy demands across the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee ("JLARC") estimates that the Commonwealth's power needs over the next decade will double, largely as a result of data centers. As the region's digital infrastructure grows, so too does the need for significant new electric infrastructure to deliver power reliably to homes, businesses, and the technology sector.

In particular, the proposed Golden-Mars 500 kV transmission line in Eastern Loudoun County, will cut through established residential communities in Loudoun Valley Estates I, II, and III. Transmission lines fundamentally change the character of our communities and come with reduced property values, visual impacts, and potential safety risks.

"Since day one, I have stressed the importance of collaboration to ensure the Golden-Mars transmission project is pursued in a way that protects our communities," said Senator Srinivasan. "This pilot program reflects that effort and provides an opportunity to help mitigate data center driven energy infrastructure demands on residents across our Commonwealth. I am grateful for the progress we've made and look forward to continuing to be engaged with our constituents' best interests in mind."

"We stand with our neighbors in Loudoun Valley Estates and across the Commonwealth in fighting back against these new invasive species- transmission lines," said Del. Singh. "This legislation provides a lifeline to communities overrun by electrical infrastructure and it's a powerful signal from the General Assembly that many of these lines ought to be placed underground. I'm grateful to my partner in this push, Senator Srinivasan, for all his hard work and advocacy, and am appreciative of the confidence placed in us by large bipartisan majorities in the General Assembly."

SB 827 and HB 1487 create a pilot program that allows localities, the State Corporation Commission ("SCC"), and a public utility to place underground 500 kV power lines. If the SCC and utility finds that such a project is feasible, in the public interest, and not cost-prohibitive, the project would be eligible for the pilot. Localities would be required to contribute at least half of the marginal cost of the project, but would be enabled to issue bonds and/or a levy, ensuring data centers pay their fair share.