Loudoun Schools and Residents Appeal Dominion Power Line Route to State Supreme Court

Virginia’s top court will now review a dispute over a high-voltage power line in eastern Loudoun County after local leaders filed an appeal this week.

The Loudoun County School Board and the Loudoun Valley Estates Homeowners Association submitted petitions for appeal on Tuesday. They are challenging the State Corporation Commission’s earlier decision to approve Dominion Energy’s plan for the Golden to Mars transmission line project.

Dominion intends to build the 6.5-mile line overhead. The proposed route runs through neighborhoods and across school properties. It also follows paths that children use to get to school and sits beside a popular local trail. The commission previously rejected a proposal to bury the lines underground, opting instead for overhead construction.

The petitioners argue that Dominion did not prove the line is needed. They also claim the utility failed to show that the chosen path would avoid adverse impacts on residents. According to filings cited by Loudoun Now, the groups list several reasons why the court should overturn the commission's ruling.

Dominion has repeatedly stated that the line is necessary to maintain reliable service. The company argues the project will meet Northern Virginia’s growing demand for electricity. Protesters have raised environmental and safety concerns about the specific route.

The appeal moves the conflict from the state regulatory commission to the Supreme Court of Virginia. The court will determine if the lower body made legal errors in approving the overhead construction.