On October 19, 2011, Virginia's State Corporation Commission issued its Final Order in the Hollymead case, authorizing construction of a second line in the existing right-of-way. Dominion submitted its application to the SCC in February 2011 for a second source of power to serve the Hollymead Substation and Rappahannock's Proffit Substation located in Albemarle County.
Click to enlarge.Demand for electricity continues to grow in the northern Charlottesville area. In fact, the newest data shows electrical demand has grown by approximately 75% over the last 10 years.
This demand has created excessive loading on the existing transmission system that is projected to continue, making it essential for Dominion to improve the reliability of the transmission system that supplies electricity to its Hollymead Substation and to Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s Proffit Substation.
View a map of the project area. Select any red arrow on the map to view a photo of the existing transmission structures at that location (use scroll bars to explore the map).
The need for the Hollymead project is driven by reliability standards for meeting peak demand. A key factor in evaluating the load limitation on a radial (served by one source) transmission line, such as the Hollymead line, is the distribution load that can be switched to circuits served from other sources. Dominion reliability guidelines, driven by mandatory NERC standards, dictate that load on radial transmission lines without an alternate supply should be limited to approximately 100 MW. The load on the existing line exceeded 100MW during the winter of 2009. The in-service target date for this project is spring of 2014.
This growth is occurring in areas served both by Dominion and by Rappahannock Electrical Cooperative (REC). REC relies on this transmission line as its sole source of power to serve its customers in this area. Dominion is obligated to supply power to its new and existing customers, including REC. Conservation measures and demand-side management can reduce demand growth rates, but Dominion does not expect these measures to be sufficient to eliminate the need altogether and is obligated to be prepared to satisfy the load requirements as they occur.
Using existing right-of-way, Dominion will remove the existing structures and replace them with slightly taller but similar looking structures that will hold the original line and a second line to serve Hollymead Substation and REC’s Proffit Substation. Because the existing line is the only source of power for these two facilities, Dominion will also use temporary structures along the northern edge of the right-of-way to keep the existing line energized during construction.
To see the existing structures, use the project map link above. To see diagrams of the proposed structures, use the links below.
The State Corporation Commission (SCC) is responsible for determining the need, route and environmental impact of transmission lines at 138 kV and above in Virginia. On October 19, 2011, the SCC issued its Final Order in the Hollymead case, authorizing construction of a second line in the existing right-of-way.
Dominion filed an application with the SCC on February 18, 2011. On March 17, 2011, the SCC issued its Procedural Order in the Hollymead case, which included a public hearing on July 14, 2011. On August 22, 2011, the Hearing Examiner issued a report recommending the SCC issue a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for construction of the second Hollymead transmission line.
Documents related to the case are made available to the public on the SCC Docket Search section of the SCC web site, in the "Search Cases", case number PUE-2011-00015.
To learn more about this process, view our SCC process map.
As a pilot program, Dominion asked property owners, environmental organizations, natural resource managers, community leaders and other local stakeholders for their thoughts and input prior to the design of a solution for Hollymead. This early stakeholder involvement was designed to identify the interests from many diverse perspectives and incorporate those considerations into the decision-making process before Dominion developed its application for SCC approval of the project.
The University of Virginia’s Institute for Environmental Negotiation (IEN) served as an impartial facilitator to help community stakeholders understand the need for new local transmission facilities and provide input on options for enhancing the electrical system serving the northern Charlottesville area. The Community Advisory Group (CAG) met 5 times and participated in a public open house held in November, 2010. The full schedule of activities can be found below.
| Timing | Milestone |
| 2010 - June | Develop Community Advisory Group Introductory Community Meeting June 29 Meeting Notes - Word / PDF |
| July 22 | First Community Advisory Group Meeting July 22 Meeting Notes - Word / PDF |
| September 7 | Second Community Advisory Group Meeting Sept. 7 Meeting Notes - Word / PDF |
| October 5 | Third Community Advisory Group Meeting Oct. 5 Meeting Notes - Word / PDF |
| October 26 | Fourth Community Advisory Group Meeting Oct. 26 Meeting Notes - Word / PDF |
| November 18 | Open House: Review Process, Gather Community Input |
| December 7 | Final Community Advisory Group Meeting Dec. 7 Meeting Notes - Word / PDF |
| 2011 - January | IEN Issues Final Report |
Contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Hollymead 230kV Line
No, the proposed transmission line will be constructed within the existing right-of-way.
Yes, in some locations. Prior to building a new power line, the existing right-of-way must be cleared to allow construction activities and eventual transmission line operation. Existing low-growing vegetation may be left in place when it does not interfere with construction activities. Additionally, trees located outside of the right-of-way which are tall enough to potentially impact the transmission line, may also be removed. These trees are commonly referred as danger trees; view a diagram of danger tree clearances.
Trees are cut to be no more than 3 inches above ground level. Debris that is adjacent to homes will be disposed of by chipping or removal. In other areas, debris may be mulched or chipped as practicable. Clearing will be accomplished by hand in wetland areas and within 100 feet of streams. Care will be taken not to leave debris in streams or wetland areas. Matting will be used for heavy equipment in these areas. Erosion control devices will be used on an ongoing basis during all clearing activities. Property owners will be notified before construction clearing begins.
The new 230 kV line will provide increased operational flexibility and greater system reliability. As an area resident, this means fewer outages, and shorter durations should an outage occur.
Approximately half of the customers served by the existing transmission line are REC customers. Due to the interconnected nature of the electric transmission grid, all REC customers rely on Dominion's transmission infrastructure to deliver reliable power.
A radial transmission line provides the only source of power to a substation serving customers. The existing 230 kilovolt line leading into the Hollymead Substation is an example of a radial line. If this line goes out for any reason, then Hollymead Substation and REC’s Proffit Substation also go out until the line is repaired and put back in service. For this reason, substations fed by radial lines are susceptible to extended outage durations; without a second source, damage from accidents or weather-related events during peak load periods must usually be repaired before service restoration can occur.
Overhead lines have proven to be the best choice for providing safe, reliable and economical energy to our customers. Underground transmission lines are not as desirable from an operational point of view. The duration of outages for underground transmission lines is significantly greater compared to overhead lines due to the complexities of locating failures and facilitating repairs. Additionally, labor and material costs for the installation of a 230 kV underground transmission line would be 6 to 10 times more expensive than an overhead option.
Dominion operates a high-voltage network of approximately 6,100 miles of transmission lines. Of this total, less than 1% (67 miles) is comprised of underground cables. At 230 kilovolts, such as the proposed line, there are approximately 2,600 miles of overhead lines and 44 miles of underground cables in our service area. These underground installations are primarily for large water crossings, dense metro areas, or other areas that are not suitable for overhead lines.
The Virginia State Corporation Commission maintains copies of all documents related to the case, number PUE-2011-00015, on the SCC website at www.scc.virginia.gov.
Yes. Our easement agreements allow us access to private roads of property owners crossed by the right of way. The company, at its expense, will repair any private roads damaged by Dominion or its contractors during construction of the line or during future maintenance. In addition, we will reimburse property owners for crop damage, and repair or replace fences or gates if we damage them.
As part of the SCC application, Dominion completes an evaluation of potential environmental, cultural, and historical impacts of the project. Dominion works with many local and state agencies to complete these evaluations and mitigate any impacts. The company also submits annual Erosion and Sedimentation (E&S) Control Specifications and an anticipated list of transmission line projects for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for review and approval. For program year 2012, this project will be included in the annual submittal for approval prior to construction. Our contractors receive copies of the E&S specifications and any additional permit conditions prior to construction and are directed to meet any requirements. The right-of-way will be rehabilitated when construction is complete.
Our enterprise-wide environmental report describes our commitment to responsible stewardship of natural resources and provides a wealth of information on environmental management and performance. We also invite you to read our Corporate Environmental Policy and our Greenhouse Gas report.
Dominion is sensitive to public concern about possible health effects from exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF). We continually monitor EMF research and speak to our customers and employees regularly to share the latest information available.
The Virginia Department of Health, in its final report, "Monitoring of Ongoing Research of the Health Effects on High Voltage Transmission Lines," said:
"Based on the review and analysis of the exhaustive literature review and other research projects completed under the EMF-RAPID program, the Virginia Department of Health is of the opinion that there is no conclusive and convincing evidence that exposure to extremely low frequency EMF emanated from nearby high voltage transmission lines is causally associated with an increased incidence of cancer or other detrimental health effects in humans. Even if it is assumed that there is an increased risk of cancer as implied in some epidemiologic studies, the empirical relative risk appears to be fairly small in magnitude and the observed association appears to be tenuous. The studies published in the literature lack clear demonstration of a cause and effect relationship as well as a definitive dose-response gradient."
Additional information:
Dominion welcomes comments and suggestions from property owners and the general public. Contact us for more information and please let us know if you would like for Dominion to send you project updates.
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