Virginia’s State Corporation Commission (SCC) has regulatory authority over all electric utilities and requires that all transmission facilities at or above 138 kV be certified by the SCC. The SCC determines the need for a proposed line and the route. Among other elements considered, the SCC must determine that the selected route reasonably minimizes the impact on scenic assets, historic districts, and the environment.
- Dominion refines routes/study area, finalizes their impact analysis
- Dominion told Coalition after July 15 Open House that they might make changes to what was presented, given input received at the Open House.
- We are not sure what the final recommendation will be from Dominion
- Dominion files application to SCC (State Corporation Commission)
- Dominion has advised local jurisdictions in early October that they hope to file their application for this project with the SCC “sometime within the coming weeks.”
- Application includes one recommended route (with reasons for choice) and all studied routes (with reasons for and against)
- SCC Process – average 1 – 2+ years (but this has been completed in a few months for other Northern Va. transmission line projects)
- SCC directs Department of Environmental Quality to conduct review of impacts from proposed project
- DEQ coordinates multiple agency review (multiple Virginia agencies)
- SCC Project review schedule is set
- SCC Staff begins review of proposed project
- Public comments submitted
- Respondent testimony
- SCC Staff report issued
- Dominion response/rebuttal testimony
- SCC Public hearing
- Coalition has been told SCC will hold a hearing in Haymarket area
- SCC Formal Evidentiary hearing
- SCC Hearing Examiner Report
- Comments to Hearing Examiner Report
- Dominion, citizen respondents, SCC staff
- SCC issues final order
Source: Dominion Power