By: Lydia Crawley
The Parsons Advocate
Valley Link, the company behind the controversial Valley North power line project, held an informational Open House at Tucker County High School on Wednesday, July 8th hosted by Company spokesman Will Boye starting at 4 p.m. over 130 community members were in attendance for the event along with several members of local and State government including Tucker County Commissioners Mike Rosenau, Tim Knotts and Fred Davis, State Senators Robbie Morris and Bill Hamilton and House of Delegates Candidate Debbie Stiles.
Who are Valley Link
Valley Link Transmission Company LLC is a joint venture between Dominion Energy, Transource Energy (American Electric Power and Evergy) and FirstEnergy Transmission. A joint venture is when two or more companies come together for a specific project. There is no formal or legal structured partnership with clear roles or responsibilites, there was no merger or acquisition. The company was formed to build the Valley North Project across West Virginia to Maryland and the Joshua Falls – Yeat Project in Virginia, an 115 mile 765-kV line stretching across Central and Northern Virginia from Campbell to Culpeper Counties.
What is Valley North Transmission Line Project
The Valley North Project is a transmission line project still in the development phase that is projected to stretch 260 miles of new 765-kilovolt (kV) transmission line across the state of West Virginia from Putnam County, WV to Frederick County, MD. The project is slated to include two new substations with one in Hardy County and one in Frederick County, MD. Valley Link said, “This new infrastructure will bring electricity to where its needed most and unlock new opportunities for communities along the route.”
Valley Link said the need for the project stems from demand in the region expected to double over the next decade due to the fasted growth since the post-WWII era. This growth in demand has been driven by such factors as population growth, expanding industries, power plant retirements and advanced manufacturing.
Opponents say that the project is slated to fuel areas such Washington D.C. and more importantly, data centers in the Data Center Alley of Loudoun County, VA. Other criticisms raised by community members have included rate hikes to pay for the project with no benefits to West Virginians, leaving many to feel that West Virginia will be left to hold the bag for the project with nothing to show for it. Opponents questioned whether the project would even be considered if there were no data centers to feed.
The Company said the project will strengthen the grid and deliver more reliable, affordable electricity to places people depend on every day such as homes, hospitals schools and local businesses. The increased capacity on existing lines will reduce bottlenecks that can lead to service disruptions and outages, as well. The project also aims to strengthen the resilience of the energy system to help it withstand the extreme weather and unexpected challenges the West Virginia weather and mountains can provide.
The Company also said there will be benefits to local communities in the form of infrastructure investment leading to the generation of $1.50 to $2.00 in broader economic activity from every $1.00 invested. Other benefits, the Company said include: hundreds of local construction jobs; increased spending at local shops, restaurants and hotels; higher local tax revenues and ongoing support for essential services such as first responders, libraries and healthcare facilities.
What is a 765-kilovolt (765kV) Tower
A 765kV tower is a massive transmission tower far taller than your standard power pole along the highway. These structures are used to move bulk electricity across long distances with minimal power loss. They are generally steel lattice towers that measure 130 to 200 feet tall, the equivalent of a 15 to 19 story building and require a far wider easement that a standard power line.
These structures are costlier to construct, but are capable of transporting vastly more electricity more efficiently across longer distances with fewer structures needed. In damp or humid conditions, the high electrical fields are known to cause an audible “cracking” noise and are equipped with red marker lights for aviation safety due to their extreme height.
Open Comment Period and Open Houses
There are still other Open Houses being held across the State by Valley Link regarding this project. The goal of the Open Houses is to give the community the opportunity to meet with the Valley North Project team and review study segments, speak with project experts and share feedback that will help shape project decisions.
The final route for the project has yet to be decided, the Company said, and will be based on community input, surveys and study of environmental, cultural and historic resources.
Currently, there is a 30 day open comment period on the project in which the public can voice their opinions and thoughts on the project. To submit a comment online go to vltransmission.com/valley-north. The open comment period runs until August 14th.
The website also has a listing of upcoming area Open Houses in neighboring counties such as:
*Barbour County on July 15th at 4 p.m. at Philippi Middle School 611 Cherry Hill Road, Philippi
*Upshur County on July 16th at 4 p.m. at The Event Center at Brushy Fork, 929 Brushy Fork Road, Buckhannon
*Preston County on July 21st at the Craig Civic Center at 311 Tunnelton Street, Kingwood
*Grant County on July 23rd at Landes Arts Center at 20 Mountain View Street, Petersburg
The Timeline
As of now, the Company is in the second phase of their Project Timeline, the Open Houses and Community Input slated for Summer 2026. The next phase will be the Feedback and Study Segment Review in Late Summer/Early Fall of 2026 in which the Company will evaluate study segments based on the feedback and develop potential route alternatives.
A second series of Open Houses and Community Input sessions are scheduled for Late 2026 in which the public will be invited in order for the Company to share information about the project, potential route alternatives and gather feedback once again from the community.
The Proposed and Alternative Route Identification will occur in Early/Mid 2027, according to the Company’s expected timeline. This phase will see the Company share proposed and alternative routes with the public and file regulatory applications in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. Permitting, Environmental Studies, Easement Acquisition and Construction will occur following the Regulatory Filings.
Construction of the project could begin in 2029, according to the Company with operation beginning in 2031.
What the Community is Saying
Strong opposition has already begun to gather in just two short days following the Open House. In that time, Social Media has erupted, Letters to the Editor have begun to come in and petitions have begun to gather signatures.
Community members such as the Stump Farm, Robert and Kathy Stump, have begun to speak out about how the project will affect their family farm. In an open letter to the Project, the Stumps, from Parsons, described how the project would divide their farm in half and place three towers in their front yard.
“If allowed to proceed the towers would take out a historical feature known as Indian Point,” the Stumps wrote. “This is a ledge of ricks which one had a cave which the Indians used as a lookout point to watch the settlers in the valley along the Cheat River. At that time there was a fort named Fort Minear.”
The Stumps also said that the towers threatened the source of their water. They rely solely on springs to supply water to their home and farm and live in an area on Misty Morning Road where public water will likely never be available.
“Water is life and without it nothing can live on our property,” the Stumps write. “The way of life lived for centuries will be lost forever.”
It is a story that is not unique. Many century farms in Tucker County are saying they are under threat of being divided in two if the project goes through. Questions also remain regarding access to the divided lands due to easement agreements. Many landowners fear having to drive miles in some cases and having to build second access roads just to access land they once had ready access to, should the project proceed.
Justin Davis on July 10th started a change.org petition called Protest Tucker County from the Valley Link Transmission Line. The goal of the protest was 500 signatures. As of Sunday, July 12th, the petition had reached half its goal, with 60% of its supporters from the surrounding area.
What Officials are Saying
Officials have begun to go on the record about the project. Prior to even having their Open House, the Upshur County Commission will consider a resolution opposing the project the week of July 13th, WV Delegate for District 100 Bill Ridenour (R, Jefferson) issued a statement on July 10th opposing the project and Senator Robbie Morris for District 11 (R, Randolph) who attended Wednesday’s meeting, has also issued a statement on July 9th opposing the project.
State Senator Robbie Morris came out on July 9th, the day after the Open House and announced his opposition to the project in a Facebook post. In the post, he said he has fielded hundreds of constituent concerns over the project and after attending the Open House wanted everyone to know where he stood.
“I oppose this project,” he wrote. “The families, farms, businesses, forests, and communities that make our part of West Virginia special deserve to have their voices heard. These are not just parcels on a map—they are people, livelihoods, heritage, and traditions.”
Morris also stated that the West Virginia Public Service Commission is the agency with the legal authority over the project. He said they have the power to approve or deny the project. “While city councils, county commissions, legislators, and other elected officials can advocate for their communities and make our positions known, we do not make the final decision. That responsibility rests with the PSC,” Morris wrote.
“I encourage everyone to stay informed, participate respectfully, and make your voice heard,” Morris wrote.
This statement was followed on July 10th by a statement by WV Delegate Bill Ridenour in which he also voiced his opposition in a Facebook post. “I’m vehemently opposed to both the Valley Link North and MARL lines (that will be just south of Jefferson County). I’ve opposed them from their initial proposal as part of the NIETC during the Biden regime and will remain opposed until they are defeated,” Ridenour wrote.
Ridenour blamed the need for the project on Virginia shutting down their coal and natural gas power plants and transitioning to solar and wind generation for power production. “That is why we have their ugly solar fields and now the planned transmission lines,” Ridenour wrote.
“During the June interim committee hearings in Canaan Valley, I strongly voiced my concerns and outrage at Mountaineers being punished with not only the blight of these power lines, but also the cost to our rate-payers, all so Virginia can pretend to be ‘green’ and rake in more tax dollars,” Ridenour wrote.
Ridenour said he co-sponsored an amendment to a bill (HB4012 HFA Anders et. al 2-9 #1) in the past session in a bid to stop the transmission lines from coming through West Virginia, which included major restrictions on eminent domain. “While the amendment was defeated, we managed to force through a competing amendment that may eventually make it harder for these lines to be inflicted on West Virginia,” Ridenour wrote.
Ridenour said he plans to continue to work with a small group of delegates who have been actively trying to severely restrict state eminent domain powers and will again work to limit the use of eminent domain. He said he also intends to submit a bill to withdraw West Virginia from the PJM transmission system, which he said is driving these transmission lines.
What is the PJM Transmission System
PJM is the regional transmission organization (RTO) that coordinates movement of wholesale electrcity in all or part of 13 states and the District of Columbia. PJM includes: Delawhere, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. It is the largest RTO in the U.S. The RTO balances the electrical supply grid and demand in real time, oversees the wholesale energy market and plans regional transmission upgrades, which is where the Valley North project comes in. It operates as an independent non-profit company and does not actually generate power or own transmission lines.
PJM was founded in 1927 when three utilities realized the benefits and efficiencies of interconnecting to share generating resources and formed the world’s first continuing power pool. PJM originally stood for Pennsylvania, (New) Jersey and Maryland when it was first founded.
For more information on Valley Link, the Valley North project or to comment on the project go to vltransmission.com. To contact the Public Service Commission of West Virginia, go to psc.state.wv.us or call 304-340-0300 to comment on the Valley North Transmission Line Project.
