A proposed 115-mile power line in Virginia is drawing mounting opposition from environmental advocates and local officials who say the project could cut through historic communities and battlefields as well as scenic landscapes, the Virginia Mercury reported.

The controversy is gaining attention because the line is tied to rising power demand in Northern Virginia, where data centers have rapidly multiplied.

Ten historic preservation and environmental groups have pushed back against the proposed Valley Link Transmission line, a 765-kilovolt project that would stretch from near Lynchburg to Culpeper County. 

If approved, it would rank as Dominion Energy's biggest transmission project and could carry 6,600 megawatts of electricity.

The project is being developed by Dominion, Transource, and FirstEnergy, and the final route has not yet been determined. 

Proposals show it would pass through Culpeper, Appomattox, Buckingham, Campbell, Fluvanna, Goochland, Louisa, Orange, and Spotsylvania counties.

At a news conference in Locust Grove, Friends of Buckingham board member Irene Leech spoke plainly about what the project could mean for residents.

"We have more ties to our land. It's not replaceable for us. You can't sell it and then get something else," Leech said, per the Mercury. She added that the line would bring changes that don't "fit with the direction that our county and our land is going."

Developers say the transmission line is necessary to meet growing electricity demand and would not serve only data centers, though officials acknowledge it would support high-demand areas in the state's north.

The concerns extend beyond aesthetics. Opponents argue that the corridor could disrupt historic sites, rural communities, tourism economies, and natural areas that people rely on for recreation, business, and a sense of identity.

Kathleen Kilpatrick of the Fluvanna Historical Society warned that short-term tax revenue linked to the data center boom should not outweigh the potential for lasting damage. She pointed to places such as Bremo Bluff and descendant communities along the James River, saying they are "bound together by kinship, by history, perseverance, their churches, schools, homes, and enterprises" and could be "assaulted … by this threat," per the Mercury.

Preservation Virginia CEO Will Glasco said that during the nation's 250th anniversary year, it is especially important to weigh impacts to cultural resources before infrastructure projects move forward.

Orange County Board of Supervisors Chair Bryan Nicol said local officials have passed resolutions and are seeking basic answers about route selection and damage mitigation, arguing that they are not getting enough information, as the Mercury noted.

Valley Link Transmission spokesperson Craig Carper said the companies are listening to residents and revising route drafts ahead of public meetings this summer.

"It's a balancing act," Carper said. "We've got to meet demand, but we've got to mitigate impact."

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