Pleasant View-Hamilton 230kV Line

Dominion has completed construction of the Pleasant View — Hamilton 230 kilovolt line and Hamilton Substation.

Virginia's Loudoun County is one of the fastest growing counties in the nation. To meet the increased demand for electricity in western Loudoun County, Dominion has constructed a new 230 kilovolt (kV) transmission line to serve the areas west of Leesburg including Purcellville, Hamilton and Round Hill.

The new 230 kV transmission line extends from Dominion's existing Pleasant View Substation located east of Leesburg off Cochran Mill Road to a new substation site northwest of Hamilton, near the intersection of Berlin Turnpike and Rt. 7.

Project Details

Maps

View a route map featuring enlarged aerial views of the route and approximate pole locations. (When viewing this PDF, use the scroll bar on the right-hand side to return to the main map at the top, or use the "bookmarks" or "pages" features in Acrobat.)
See environmental study area and the route approved by the Virginia State Corporation Commission. (A legend of topographical features is provided in the lower right corner of the map.)
This route is referred to as the Modified D alternative route, recommended by the SCC Hearing Examiner Howard P. Anderson, Jr.

Project Schedule

2009

Construction notification letters were mailed to residents along the route
Right-of-way areas were prepared for construction, foundations installed.

2010

January - W&OD Trail Detour open to the public
January - Underground construction began along W&OD Trail
Spring - Construction of the Hamilton Substation began
Spring/Summer - Poles installed along Rt. 7 from Hamilton area to Crosstrail Blvd. Pole erection followed by wire pulling.
Spring - Construction began at both transition stations: Breezy Knoll off of the Colonial Highway at Rt. 9, and the Dry Mill South location near the intersection of Dry Mill and Woodburn Rd.
May-Sept. - Multiple brief traffic stops along Route 7 were necessary for crews to string conductors between the poles
November, 2010 - W&OD Trail reopened to the public
Fall 2010 – Spring 2011 – final restoration and landscaping

Need For The Project

The Purcellville load area was being served by four long distribution lines (34.5 kV); two from Lovettesville Substation, one from Millville Substation in West Virginia, and one from Middleburg Substation. The new 230 kV transmission line and substation provides a new, local energy source to the area.

Specifications and Dimensions

Approximate total line length: 12 miles
Approximate overhead right-of-way width: 80 feet
Approximate underground line length: 2 miles
Approximate underground right-of-way width: 40 feet
Typical pole description: single pole, galvanized steel
Typical pole height: 120 feet
Typical pole spacing: 700 feet

SCC Approval Process

On February 15, 2008 the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) issued a Final Order approving the Pleasant View-Hamilton 230 kV Transmission Line and 230 kV-34.5 kV Hamilton Substation.

Five alternative routes were evaluated ranging from approximately 12.0 miles to 15.3 miles in length. Both full length and partial length underground options were examined during the course of the SCC proceeding.

House Bill 1319

On March 6, 2008 the General Assembly established a pilot program (House Bill 1319 ) to underground certain high voltage transmission lines within the Commonwealth. This bill passed both houses of the General Assembly and was approved by Governor Timothy M. Kaine on April 2, 2008. The first project to be part of this pilot program is a portion of the Pleasant View to Hamilton 230 kV line.

On May 21, 2008, Dominion filed a "Modified Request" with the Virginia State Corporation Commission for approval to underground a portion of the Pleasant View to Hamilton 230 kV line project as a pilot, under 2.A of HB 1319 (>> View this filing: Modified Request). On May 28, 2008, Dominion received approval for this request (>> View this order: Case No. PUE-2008-00042 ).

Electric and Magnetic Fields

Dominion is sensitive to public concern about possible health effects from exposure to electromagnetic fields. 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 on EMF research 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."

Review Dominion's latest EMF Update.

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