Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

In December 2024, this region’s electricity transmission authority, PJM, released a report stating that Dominion Energy would need to change its plans in Charlotte County. Specifically, the report stated too many solar projects were planning to feed into one 115 KV transmission line. A kilovolt (kv) is one unit of electrical potential energy. Those projects, PJM officials wrote, would need to be placed on hold while a larger 230 KV transmission line is built. Now it turns out that larger line may not be needed. 

Each grouping of states has what’s known as a regional transmission organization. They review construction plans, they study to make sure the infrastructure is in place to handle the energy being generated and that a developer isn’t trying to build something larger than possible. And then, if necessary, they hold up or order construction suspended, give requirements to companies, to make sure everything works. For Virginia and 12 other states in the Atlantic region, that group is PJM.

Jeff Shields works as the senior manager for external communications at PJM. He told the Gazette that instead of placing projects on hold, several projects had their applications withdrawn completely. In other words, they were no longer applying to use this 115 KV transmission line, deciding to look at other options. Countyline Solar was one of these. 

“We will restudy the cluster/cycle given the withdrawals, to see if the 230 KV upgrade is still necessary,” Shields said. “The results will be posted in August.” 

Explaining transmission lines 

So what are we talking about here? Well, transmission lines are used to transmit electrical energy over long distances and are typically overhead, consisting of one or more conductors suspended by towers or poles. These lines are generally the lowest-cost method for power transmission for large quantities of electric energy due to good cooling and insulation provided by the surrounding air. They are categorized by voltage levels. Low voltage (LV) lines carry less than 1000 Volts, medium voltage (MV) lines range from 1000 Volts to 69 KV, high voltage (HV) lines range from 115 KV to 138 KV. Basically, the regional authority in December ruled that Dominion’s projects wouldn’t be able to use a high voltage line. Instead, the company needed to build a bigger one. 

So what does that mean? At the current time, Dominion is being ordered to build a new transmission line running from Farmville to Chase City, a 230 KV line. Dominion won’t even start planning for that, company officials say, until September, again if it’s required. Dominion officials are waiting to see what PJM’s study says before starting the process, hence the delay until September. 

“If PJM deems the line necessary, that would make this an official project and kick off the project planning process for us,” said Tim Eberly. He works as a senior communications specialist with Dominion. “What we can say is that, generally, it would take about 42 to 48 months to construct a transmission line of that size and length.”

So when Eberly says the process would start in September, he doesn’t mean construction. The 230 KV line hasn’t been designed yet, right-of-way hasn’t been purchased and so it would be much later, likely in 2026, before any construction started.  

What projects are affected by PJM decision? 

Now the Gazette raised another question, this time involving the number of solar projects affected. In the PJM study, of which the Gazette has a copy, Tall Pines Solar isn’t mentioned. However, it had been labeled by Dominion as one of the Charlotte County projects put on hold due to the transmission line. That was brought up to Shields, who said that “Tall Pines Solar was not part of the study.” 

Eberly confirms that Tall Pines was not part of the study. However, Dominion still believes it would be delayed if a 230 KV line is required to be put in. 

“PJM has not completed studies on Tall Pines, but we believe that project would be affected too, because it would connect to the same existing transmission line as Quarter Horse and Courthouse (Solar).

In other words, no one knows which projects, if any, will be delayed until that new study gets released later this summer. 

What would be the impact? 

But let’s say the 230 KV line is needed. What would the impact be? 

First, according to Dominion, Tall Pines Solar would be pushed back. NOVI Energy built this one before turning it over to Dominion. This would be a 220 megawatt project located in the area of Welsch Tract Road and Bethlehem Road near Charlotte Court House. The project would be going up on just more than 2,000 acres of land, owned by four different groups, with an estimated 530,000 solar modules. Due to the transmission line issue, Dominion now expects this project to be finished by 2030 or 2031. 

Then there’s Courthouse Solar. This is set to be built on 1,354 acres just southwest of Charlotte Court House, on 12 parcels owned by Blue Rock Resources, LLC, Ridgeway Farm LLC, and Robert Locke. Dominion acquired the project from NOVI Energy and now plans a 167 megawatt facility. 

If you want more detailed directions than just “southwest of Charlotte Court House,” the project is bound to the north by George Washington Highway (Route 40), to the west by Tollhouse Highway (Route 47), to the east by Eureka School Road and to the south by Ash Camp Creek. 

Over a 35-year lifespan, the solar project is expected to generate $15.073 million in property taxes and revenue sharing. The site prep work will still start this year, however after that, Dominion estimates the project could sit idle for two to three years until the 230 KV line is ready. 

Dominion officials have explained that delay. If the transmission line does need to be replaced, they don’t want to start mechanical and electrical construction. Dominion’s Gary Payne told supervisors last week that the company was concerned the equipment would start wearing down before it even gets turned on, if finished before the new line is ready. 

And finally there is County Line Solar. Now this project was on the verge of flipping the switch, with Dominion having placed it in the “queue” to get final transmission approval by PJM. But due to the ruling, Dominion pulled County Line completely from the queue and its status is unclear.