A General Assembly subcommittee focused on agriculture, the Chesapeake Bay and natural resources is sending a letter to the State Corporation Commission in opposition of the two proposed power lines in the James City County area.
Del. Mike Watson (R-93rd District) presented legislation to amend existing state law about historic rivers. In the bill, the portion of the lower James River in James City County is declared a historic river.
The subcommittee within the Committee on Agriculture, Chesapeake and Natural Resources considered the bill Jan. 4, with a Dominion Virginia Power representative speaking against the bill because of its similarity to existing laws in the Virginia Code at the meeting.
“The SCC can and does consider underground/underwater facilities under the existing code requirements. Dominion feels adding additional text in other areas of the Code is redundant,” said Bonita Harris, media and communications relations manager for Dominion.
Watson’s amendment would have added to a section about planning use and development for water resources when the water’s historic, scenic or ecological value could be destroyed. The current code requires that alternative solutions be considered before work is performed; Watson’s changes would require the alternative solutions “may include constructing new utility lines underwater.”
The committee recommended tabling the bill, with Chairman Lee Ware (R-65th District) suggesting the subcommittee send a letter to the SCC to help bring more immediate action from the commission.
“While the bill was set aside in its present form, the Chairman’s letter will express the will of the entire committee rather than that of one legislator,” Watson said in a news release. “And because it does not have to pass through the Senate and to the Governor, the SCC will get this message in a few weeks, rather than July when the process will be much further along.”
Dominion hopes the letter will reassure the community an underground option was considered.
“We work hard to meet the growing demand for electricity for our customers – and this line is part of that reliability commitment,” Harris said. “The over-the-James proposal we put forward, we believe, best meets that need. Ultimately the SCC will decide.”
