Virginia State Corporation Commission Urged to Approve Meadow Brook-To-Loudoun Transmission Line
Supporters cite critical need for new transmission line
Dominion proposal consistent with state SCC staff consultant report
Project part of Dominion's plan to meet Virginia's growing energy need
RICHMOND, Va. - Supporters of Dominion's proposed Northern Virginia electric transmission line told the Virginia State Corporation Commission today that the project is essential to the economic health and security of the fast-growing region.
Michael Cooper of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority,
which operates both Washington Dulles International Airport in Loudoun County
and Washington Reagan National Airport in Alexandria, told the commission that
Dulles is in the midst of a multi-billion-dollar expansion project to accommodate
a projected near-doubling of passengers by 2020.
"The Airports Authority recognizes that our capacity to provide
the national capital area with a world-class, global aviation system is heavily
dependent on maintaining a reliable source of electricity," said Cooper. "Our
need for increased electrical power grows annually.
"Reliable electric service is essential to the operation of
both of our airports. We have benefited from the reliable service that Dominion
provides and we support needed investments to make sure that this reliability
continues in the future," Cooper said.
Dominion Virginia Power has applied with the SCC to build
a 65-mile, 500,000-volt transmission line to alleviate projected overloads of
the transmission system in the summer of 2011 and the potential for rolling
blackouts. The proposed route is entirely atop or adjacent to an existing power
line between electric substations in Frederick County and Loudoun County.
Dozens of speakers testified in support of the power line
at the SCC's final public hearing today. Dozens of others have spoken on behalf
of the line at previous public meetings and hundreds have sent letters of support
to the SCC.
The SCC staff last week released two reports by independent
consultants that said a critical need exists for electric reliability improvements
by 2011 in Northern Virginia and recommends the route proposed by Dominion for
a transmission line.
"The results of the … study indicate that without the proposed
(Meadow Brook-to-) Loudoun Line, (federal) and (Dominion Virginia Power) reliability
criteria cannot be met in either 2011 or 2016," said the study from Bates White
LLC of Washington, D.C. "In other words, there is a need to improve the existing
power system to reliably serve the expected demand growth in both 2011 and 2016.
The proposed Loudoun Line would fully resolve the expected reliability issues
in 2011."
Testifying in support today, Erin Wegner, co-owner of a licensed
children day-care facility in Tysons Corner, said that one of the only items
about electricity to which they paid attention when they prepared their business
plan was outlet placement.
"Without adequate and reliable power, we cannot keep our facility
warm in winter and cool in summer. Without electricity we cannot use the dishwasher
to adequately clean dishes, cups, and toys. Without electricity, we cannot use
the vacuum, keep the humidifier running, play music DVDs, go on the computer
to download information, send out emails to our parents, print out happy-birthday
banners or do the hundreds of things we do each day to keep our children safe,
comfortable and secure," she said. "We depend upon electricity every minute
of every day we are open."
Bob Redmond, chairman of the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of
Commerce legislative committee, testified the loss of reliable electricity in
Northern Virginia could negatively affect business growth.
"Compared with other major cities, the region has a larger
proportion of Hispanic-owned companies in professional areas such as high technology,
legal, accounting, engineering and translation services," Redmond said. "However,
transmission reliability issues would quickly stem this new growth. This is
why we urge the commission to approve the Dominion proposal."
Dominion is one
of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a portfolio of approximately
26,500 megawatts of generation. Dominion serves retail
energy customers in 11 states. For more information about Dominion, visit the
company's Web site at http://www.dom.com.
