In our continued commitment to provide safe and reliable power to area customers, Dominion plans to add a 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line in Currituck County. The overhead line project will begin at the Shawboro Substation and continue east/southeast for approximately 11 miles to the connection near the Aydlett Substation (see map).
Between 2000 and 2010, Currituck and Dare Counties experienced a nearly 30% increase in population. By 2015, forecasted demand could jeopardize the mandatory reliability standards that Dominion is required to meet as set by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).
With the addition of this new line, residents and businesses in Currituck County will benefit from increased reliability, and this project will support continued economic development and growth within the region.
Simulations of the proposed transmission structures are available below. You can view a PDF file featuring simulations along the entire route, or individually select from eight viewpoints.
Over the last decade, Currituck and Dare Counties have experienced a nearly 30% increase in population. Projections indicate future power overload on current power lines and risk of service interruption in certain conditions.
Dominion’s new line project will:
Contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Shawboro–Aydlett 230kV Line.
The new line will largely utilize existing right-of way. However, up to 60 feet of additional easement alongside the existing corridor may be necessary to install the additional line.
The new line decreases the likelihood of outages, and potentially shortens outage durations, should they occur, to area residents.
The electric grid is the network of power lines that carries electricity from power plants to residential, industrial and commercial customers. To work effectively, electricity must at all times flow safely and reliably throughout the grid so the power is available when needed. Aging infrastructure, combined with a rise in domestic electricity consumption, has forced experts to critically examine the status and health of the nation's electrical systems. A ten-part series of stories from National Public Radio has been published on NPR.org, examining the costs, the politics and other challenges of upgrading the country's electricity grid. View a 3-minute video explaining how the electric grid operates.
Preliminary estimates are $31 million to construct and energize the new line.
The new structures are weathering-steel monopole structures which may be up to 20 feet taller than the existing structures.
As part of our regulatory applications, 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 impacts. The company also submits annual Erosion and Sedimentation (E&S) Control Specifications for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines to the appropriate conservation department in North Carolina for review and approval. This project will be submitted for approval prior to construction. Our contractors receive copies of the E&S specifications and additional permit conditions prior to construction and are directed to meet regulatory requirements. The right-of-way will be rehabilitated when construction is complete.
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:
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.
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