Dominion Could Bypass State on Power Line Plans

[NoPowerTowers]

Dominion Could Take Case To U.S.
Law Lets Firms Bypass State on Power Line Plans

By Sandhya Somashekhar
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 26, 2007; B01

Days after Dominion Virginia Power formally applied to build a 65-mile power line across Northern Virginia, members of a House subcommittee yesterday questioned the wisdom of a federal law that could allow power companies, including Dominion, to build such lines without state approval.

The regulation, passed as part of the 2005 Energy Policy Act, has yet to be applied. Opponents of Dominion's power line say the regulation, which allows power companies to seek approval from the federal government and bypass states altogether, could encourage more projects like it, marring landscapes across the country with miles of cable strung together along ugly steel towers.

"It is important that the federal government not needlessly usurp the long-standing authority and role of the states on this issue," Rep. Thomas M. Davis III (R-Va.) said during the meeting of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee's domestic subcommittee.

Moreover, opponents said, the regulation could stifle exploration into alternatives that encourage conservation and reduce greenhouse emissions.

The hearing at the Rayburn House Office Building was called by Davis and Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.), who have opposed Dominion's effort to build a 500,000-volt transmission line across environmentally and historically sensitive areas. The issue resonated with legislators in New York, California and other states facing similar controversies.

The Virginia congressmen have introduced legislation that would repeal that portion of the law.

Dominion's initial, and controversial, proposal last summer called for a shorter route that would cut through scenic areas, Civil War battlefields and some densely populated neighborhoods along Interstate 66.

In its 1,016-page application April 19 to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, Dominion proposed instead winding the line along existing power line corridors in Culpeper, Rappahannock, Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun counties. In some areas, the company would need to buy or confiscate private property.

The shift has done little to assuage opponents, such as the slow-growth Piedmont Environmental Council, which says Dominion has exaggerated the need for the line in the name of higher profits. In the end, they say, the commission could revert to the original route.

Dominion has said the Northern Virginia line is vital to serving the voracious appetite for power in the rapidly expanding Washington region and maintaining the health of the East Coast electrical grid.

"In the wake of the August 2003 cascading blackout from the Midwest to New York State, the entire country realized that we had to improve our nation's energy infrastructure," said Paul D. Koonce, chief executive of Dominion Energy, the only industry representative testifying at yesterday's hearing. "Our economy simply cannot tolerate such events becoming regular."

Of particular concern to opponents is that Dominion could go forward against the wishes of Virginia if the mid-Atlantic region is declared a "national interest electric transmission corridor" under the energy bill. It is one of 11 regions the U.S. Department of Energy is considering for that label.

If that happens, Dominion and other power companies could turn to the federal government if state agencies deny their applications or take more than one year to rule on them.

Koonce said Dominion plans to follow the traditional course, seeking approval from the state rather than turning to the federal government. But he would not rule it out if the process goes badly.

"We have great confidence in our provide a pathway for the company to go forward," Koonce said.