Power line will go underground

AQUIA — Aquia Harbour residents and Republican activists are celebrating a state agency’s approval in burying a proposed 230-kilovolt-transmission line that will run through the northern section of the county.

The Virginia State Corporation on Tuesday mandated a proposed power line that will run for a 5-mile stretch between Aquia Harbour and Mountain View Road be buried underground.

“We were thrilled with the outcome. This was a huge relief for all of us,” said Susan Stimpson with the Stafford County Republican Committee.

Towering Concerns, a Stafford-based activist group, fought hard against Dominion Virginia Power’s original proposal of running the power line above ground. The group cited health concerns for residents, and the negative effects an above-ground line would have on property values.

Karl Neddenine with Dominion said though the underground line will be more expensive, the transmission line is desperately needed.

“This line will strengthen the power capacity in the Garrisonville area, and will provide a back up. In the event the area suffers from a large power outage, it will take us less time to get power back on in the area,” said Neddenien

Neddenine said the cost difference in the two lines is huge. The above-ground line would have cost Dominion $14 million to build. The below-ground alternative will cost the agency an estimated $82 million, and that figure could go even higher, according to Neddenien.

“Now that we have the ruling we can develop a more precise estimate on what the cost will be,” said Neddenien.

Dominion proposed the line at a July 2006 public meeting at Colonial Forge High School. Neddenien said it was up to his company then to prove the need for the power line extension, and said Dominion worked to keep the public involved in every step of the process.

The proposed line will run in a Dominion-maintained right of way and connect with a newly proposed sub-station to be built in the Garrisonville area. Neddenien said because the line will be built in the right of way, the construction impacts will be minor.

Towering Concerns credits the leadership of Virginia House Speaker Bill Howell, and Delegate Mark Cole, as well as Stafford County Supervisors Mark Dudenhefer and Paul Milde in lobbying to get the line buried.

Dominion said they hope to have the transmission line fully operational by the summer of 2009.