Source: https://www.dominionenergy.com/company/electric-projects/power-line-projects/warrenton-wheeler-gainesville-project
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 14:16:21
Document Index: 150186413

Matched Legal Cases: ['Application No. 266', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'art 5', 'art 6', 'art 1', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 1', 'art 2']

Warrenton-Wheeler-Gainesville | Dominion Energy
2018 - Target date for completing Remington-Warrenton Rebuild
2018 - Target date for completing Prince William portion of project
2017 - Nov.: Construction to begin on the permanent line from Remington Combustion Turbine to Warrenton
2017 - Feb.: Temporary access road building begins along the Remington CT-Warrenton Corridor
2016 - Dec.: Tree cutting & vegetation removal begins along the Remington CT-Warrenton corridor
2016 - Construction begins
2016 - Pre-construction Activities
2016 – Feb. 11 Commission approved Dominion Energy’s application
2015 - Nov. 20 Hearing Examiner issued report in favor of Option C
2015 - Aug. 14 Revised deadline for submitting public comments
2015 - Aug. 10 Public Hearing in the Warrenton Community Center, Warrenton, VA 20186
2015 - Aug. 4 Evidentiary hearing in the Commission's Second Floor Courtroom, Tyler Building, Richmond VA
2015 - May 20: Deadline for submitting public comments on the case to the SCC
2015 - April 30 Dominion Energy made supplemental notice of the Option A Route alternatives
2015 - April 20: Public Hearing held on the project in Richmond; 1300 E. Main Street, Second Floor
2014 - Sept. 30: Public Hearing held on the project in Richmond; 1300 E. Main Street, Second Floor
2014 - Aug. 20: Public Local Hearing was held at Patriot High School in Nokesville
2014 - May 29: SCC Issued Procedural Order
2014 - March 31: SCC Application for Approval and Certification of Electric Facilities
2013 - Sept. and Nov.: Public Open House events
2013 - April: Dominion Energy and NOVEC began work with a Community Advisory Group
2013 - Feb: Dominion Energy and NOVEC advised local and state elected officials
Warrenton-Wheeler-Gainesville
This Project addresses current and identified future reliability issues associated with the Warrenton Substation in Fauquier County, and the Wheeler and Gainesville Substations in Prince William County. Capacity planning studies show Dominion Energy must expand its facilities by 2017 to continue to serve the area reliably.
Ability to handle future anticipated growth
UPDATE: Final permits received from Prince William and Fauquier Counties
February 7, 2017, In a unanimous vote a Special Use Permit was obtained for the Vint Hill Switching Station in Prince William County. This vote was followed by another unanimous vote for a Special Use Permit for the Wheeler Switching Station, also in Prince William County, on February 14, 2017.
March 9, 2017, the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors also unanimously voted to issue Dominion Energy a Special Exception Permit for the expansion of the Warrenton Substation.
With the approval of these permits, Dominion Energy has received all necessary permits to construct this important project to help maintain reliable electric service for the area. We would like to thank the Planning Commissions and the Board of Supervisors for their diligence in working with Dominion Energy and the residents of Prince William and Fauquier Counties to review and approve our permit applications.
Project Route Overview Map as approved by the SCC
Dominion Energy and Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) have identified current or future reliability issues associated with the Warrenton Substation in Fauquier County, and the Wheeler and Gainesville Substations in Prince William County. Our capacity planning studies show that Dominion Energy must expand its facilities to continue to serve the area reliably and comply with the standards maintained by the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC).
After more than a year of studies, several different options were evaluated that could resolve the reliability issues. On March 31, 2014, Dominion Energy filed an application with the State Corporation Commission (SCC) for approval to rebuild the existing Warrenton line and build new facilities to serve Prince William County.
Video overview of the project and options considered.
Photo simulations of the proposed structures along A, B and C routes (Each photo simulation contains a "before" and "after" image. Photo simulations and diagrams provide representational views of proposed electric transmission facilities. These illustrations do not necessarily depict exact structure design or physical placement. All projects are subject to change and to final engineering.):
Brianwood Court
Morris Farm at Meadows
The need for the project is driven by reliability standards for meeting peak demand. A key factor in evaluating the load limitation on a radial (served by one source) transmission line, such as the Warrenton or Wheeler lines, is the distribution load that can be switched to circuits served from other sources. Dominion Energy reliability guidelines, driven by mandatory NERC standards, dictate that load on radial transmission lines without an alternate supply should be limited to approximately 100 megawatts (MW). The load on the existing Warrenton line is projected to exceed 100 MW by 2017. NOVEC's line, while not subject to the same NERC standards, is already exceeding this same 100 MW threshold. To maintain future reliability for its customers, NOVEC is seeking a second source of power. Providing a second, separate source of power to Wheeler will also help relieve the Gainesville Substation, which is also a reliability concern. The in-service target date for this project is fall of 2018.
This growth is occurring in areas served by Dominion Energy, NOVEC, and Rappahannock Electrical Cooperative (REC). REC relies on this transmission line as its primary source of power to serve its customers in this area. NOVEC is also served by Dominion Energy's transmission system. Dominion Energy is obligated to supply power to its new and existing customers, including REC and NOVEC. Conservation measures and demand-side management can reduce demand growth rates, but Dominion Energy does not expect these measures to be sufficient to eliminate the need altogether. Dominion Energy is obligated to be prepared to satisfy the load requirements as they occur and to meet reliability standards.
Throughout the planning of this project, Dominion Energy and NOVEC have been committed to consulting with stakeholders and the public. The utilities employed a Community Engagement Plan with the goal of obtaining input from stakeholders and the public through open, transparent and comprehensive outreach. Input and feedback received during this process assisted Dominion Energy in the identification of feasible route options for assessment and inclusion in an application to the Virginia State Corporation Commission, filed March 31, 2014.
Dominion Energy hired Natural Resource Group, an environmental and public affairs firm, to help develop and facilitate a comprehensive Community Advisory Group process. With NRG’s help, Dominion Energy and NOVEC organized a series of meetings with community participants to review the project’s purpose and need, discuss routing constraints and opportunities, and plan for broader community feedback through open houses for the public.
Our Community Engagement Plan consisted of four elements:
Community leader outreach
Communications – All documents, presentations, materials and meeting notes will be posted to this project website.
Schedule of CAG Activities
2013 - Feb. 28: Project Overview shared with local elected officials, community leaders, media. View the Presentation
2013 - Feb. 28: Media - Inside Nova introduced new project
2013 - March 1: Media - FauquierNow introduced new project
2013 - early March: Community leader outreach to solicit CAG participants.
2013 - March 5: Media - Fauquier Times-Democrat introduced new project
2013 - March 5: Media - Bull Run Observer introduced new project
2013 - March 20: Informational materials mailed to CAG participants
2013 - April 3: CAG Meeting #1: Background Workshop:
View the materials discussed during the meeting
2013 - April 3: Media - FauquierNow article reviewed first CAG meeting
2013 - April 5: Media - Fauquier Times-Democrat article reviewed first CAG meeting
2013 - April 23: Project overview shared with Southern Fauquier Business Owners Association: View the presentation
2013 - April 25: CAG Meeting #2: Explore Route Selection Process: View Parking Lot Review presentation
2013 - April 26: Media - FauquierNow article reviewed second CAG meeting
2013 - May 1: Media - Fauquier Times-Democrat article reviewed second CAG meeting
2013 - May 16: Optional CAG Information Session
View the Parking Lot questions and answers
2013 - May 22: Media - Fauquier Times-Democrat article reviewed May 16 information session
2013 - June 3: Project overview shared with City of Manassas Council - View the presentation
2013 - June 6: Project overview shared with Prince William Chamber Board of Directors - View the presentation
2013 - June 6: CAG Meeting #3: Route Exploration Options A & B
Note: the constraint maps reviewed during the third CAG meeting continued to be refined and have been added to the website under the 4th meeting.
2013 - June 12: Media - Fauquier Times-Democrat article reviewed third CAG meeting
2013 - July 17: Presentation to Prince William Architectural Board and Historical Commission - View the Presentation
2013 - July 18: Presentation to the Fauquier Chamber Economic Development Committee: View the Presentation
2013 - Aug. 27: CAG Meeting #4 - Review of all options, route refinement
View the updated presentation with overview route maps.
Map A1 - Land Ownership
Map A1 - Land Ownership, Study Areas
Map A2 - Local Landmarks
Map A2 - Local Landmarks, Study Areas
Map A3 - Zoning
Map A3 - Zoning, Study Areas
Map A4 - Conservation Lands
Map A4 - Conservation Lands, Study Areas
Map B1 - Environmental
Map B1 - Environmental, Study Areas
Map C1 - Energy and Transportation
Map C1 - Energy and Transportation Study A
Map D1 - Parcels, Landowners
Map D1 - Parcels, Landowners, Study A
Map E1 - Cultural
Map E1 - Cultural, Study A
Summary of Changes Made to Maps - CAG Review
2013 - Sept. 16, 19, 25: Open House: Public feedback on project development. View the different displays below:
Structure Simulations (Option A,C1, C2, single circuit | Options B & C, double circuit)
SCC Process
2013 - Oct. 28: CAG Meeting #5: Reviewing feedback, further route refinements
View the consolidated feedback from CAG
View the consolidated feedback from the public open house events
View an environmental feature comparison table for Option A routes
Learn more about the SCC approval process
2013 - Nov. 20: CAG Meeting #6: Final Review
View the agenda and discussion items
2013 - Nov. 20-21: Open House: Public feedback on project proposal. All displays listed (above) for the September open houses were available, plus:
Structure diagram for C1 and C2
Photo simulations of the proposed structures along A, B and C routes (updated Jan. 17, 2014)
New overview map for overhead and underground A routes - still not recommended at this time
View all consolidated public feedback on the project
Area Maps - Previous Versions
High level map of the area of concern.
Overview maps of the three options being evaluated.
Detailed maps of Option A (updated 11/19/13)
For information on the Option A route alternatives, view the A 2/3 Route and A 2/3 Staff Route maps.
Detailed maps of Option B (updated 11/19/13)
Detailed maps of Option C (updated 11/19/13)
C1 route with the citizen developed variation that was subject of easement agreement approved by Prince William Board of County Supervisors at June 3 hearing (updated 06/04/14)
Constraint maps (found at bottom of page) that were developed and studied by CAG and routing team.
Existing transmission facilities in the area.
Dominion Energy, NOVEC and REC Service Territories in this area.
March 31, 2014: SCC Application for Approval and Certification of Electric Facilities for The Remington Ct-Warrenton 230kV Double Circuit Transmission Line, Vint Hill-Wheeler and Wheeler-Loudoun 230kV Transmission Lines and 230kV Vint Hill Switching Station and 230kV Wheeler Switching Station Application No. 266, Case No. PUE-2014-00025:
Vol. I - Application and Appendix
Vol. II - Testimony and DEQ Supplement
Vol. III - Routing Study
Vol. IV - Routing Study
Vol. V - Part 1 Routing Study
Vol. V - Part 2 Routing Study
Vol. V - Part 3 Routing Study
Vol. V - Part 4 Routing Study
Vol. V - Part 5 Routing Study
Vol. V - Part 6 Routing Study
May 29, 2014, The SCC issued its Procedural Order for the case, docket #PUE-2014-00025.
Aug. 22, 2014, Staff, by counsel, filed a Motion for Order, requesting that Dominion Energy Virginia be directed to (i) conduct further study, in coordination with the Staff, to develop additional Option A Warrenton-Wheeler transmission alternatives; and (ii) give notice to the public of a set of buildable Option A Warrenton-Wheeler alternatives. On August 26, 2014, Dominion Energy Virginia and SCC Staff filed a Joint Motion for Extension to extend the procedural schedule. The Joint Motion for Extension was granted in a Hearing Examiner's Ruling dated August 27, 2014, which retained the public hearing scheduled for September 30, 2014. On September 5, 2014, Dominion Energy Virginia filed its Motion for Extension in which it requested a further two-week extension to respond to Staffs Motion. The Motion for Extension was granted in a Hearing Examiner's Ruling dated September 5, 2014.
Sept. 19, 2014, Dominion Energy Virginia and Piedmont Environmental Council filed their responses to Staff's Motion for Order.
Sept. 25, 2014, SCC Staff response was filed. View maps of the A routes being considered.
Sept. 30, 2014, Public Hearing was held on the project in Richmond
Oct. 1, 2014, Hearing Examiner’s Ruling: "Based on the Company's Application, the pleadings, and the testimony of public witnesses received to date in this proceeding," the Hearing Examiner ruled, "publishing notice for the [Option A] routes identified by Staff is not desirable at this time." The ruling does not preclude the Staff from continuing to develop a record for alternative routes throughout the course of the proceeding.
Oct. 7, 2014, Hearing Examiner issued a Ruling reestablishing the procedural schedule for the case.
Oct. 22, 2014, Dominion Energy requested an extension to allow sufficient time to fully develop testimony.
Oct. 23, 2014, the Hearing Examiner issued a ruling revising the procedural schedule as follows:
November 14, 2014 -- Company's supplemental testimony was due
January 15, 2015 -- Staff direct testimony was due
February 4, 2015 -- Company's rebuttal testimony was due
February 24, 2015 -- Public comments were due
February 25, 2015 -- A public hearing was convened at 10:00 a.m., in the Commission's Courtroom, Second Floor, 1300 E. Main Street, Richmond
Nov. 14, 2014, Dominion Energy submitted its Supplemental Testimony, confirming Gainesville as an appropriate end point for the proposed project. Testimony continues to support Option C-Gainesville as the best solution.
Jan. 8, 2015, SCC Staff issued a Joint Motion for an extension. The revised schedule is as follows:
March 6, 2015 - Staff testimony was due
March 27, 2015 - Company rebuttal testimony was filed
April 17, 2015 - Public comments were due
April 20, 2015 - Public witness hearing
April 21, 2015 - Evidentiary hearing began
Feb. 20, 2015, SCC Hearing Examiner issued a Joint Motion for an extension. The revised schedule is as follows:
April 7, 2015 - Staff testimony was due
April 28, 2015 - Dominion Energy rebuttal testimony was filed
May 26, 2015 - Public comments were due
May 27, 2015 - Evidentiary hearing began
March 19, 2015, SCC Staff filed a Second Motion to Notice landowners along Option A Route
March 26, 2015, Dominion Energy filed its response to SCC Staff’s Second Motion to Notice landowners along Option A Route
March 31, 2015, SCC Hearing Examiner granted the SCC Staff's Second Motion to Notice Option A Route alternatives A 2/3 Route and A 2/3 Staff Route
April 9, 2015, the SCC Hearing Examiner issued the following revised schedule:
April 14, 2015 Staff testimony was due
April 20, 2015 Public witness hearing continued in Richmond, SCC Building, second floor at 10:00 a.m.
April 30, 2015 Dominion Energy made supplemental notice of the Option A Route alternatives
May 21, 2015 Notices of Participation were due (for those parties that have not already filed)
June 24, 2015 Respondents filed testimony
July 22, 2015 Company rebuttal testimony filed
August 3, 2015 Public comments were due
August 4, 2015 Evidentiary hearing began: 10:00 a.m., in the Commission's Second Floor Courtroom, Tyler Building, 1300 East Main Street, Richmond VA
April 14, 2015, SCC staff submitted its direct testimony, which includes SCC Staff's formal and final report on this case. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)
July 29, 2015 SCC Hearing Examiner issued the following additions to the schedule:
August 10, 2015: Public Hearing held at 5:00 p.m., in the Warrenton Community Center, 430 East Shirley Avenue, Warrenton, Virginia 20186
August 14, 2015: Revised deadline for submitting public comments
November 20, 2015, SCC Hearing Examiner issued his report recommending that the Commission approve the company's proposed solution, Option C. (Part 1, Part 2)
February 11, 2016, Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), issued its final order approving Dominion Energy's proposed solution in its Warrenton-Wheeler-Gainesville Project - Option C, with new right of way using the Option C-1.1c route.
In coming to its decision, the SCC determined that Dominion Energy’s proposed project design best addresses the electric need and the Company’s proposed route reasonably minimizes impacts.
Currently Dominion Energy has begun preliminary construction activities, including surveying, property appraisals and final line engineering. Throughout the construction process, we will continue to communicate with the community about our progress and related construction activities in their area.
We want to thank the community for their participation and engagement during this project’s tenure, both leading up to our application filing and during the SCC proceedings. We look forward to continuing to work with the community during construction and completing this important reliability project for our customers.
Documents related to the case are made available to the public on the SCC Docket Search section of the SCC web site, www.scc.virginia.gov. To learn more about this process, view our SCC Process Map.
Why is this project needed? What happens if we do nothing?
The need for the Warrenton Wheeler 230 kV project is driven by reliability standards for meeting peak demand. By 2017, planning studies show that the peak load on the existing Warrenton line will surpass the 100 megawatt (MW) criteria, creating a service reliability risk and violations of the federally mandated NERC Reliability Standards. NOVEC’s line, while not subject to the same NERC Standards, is already exceeding this same 100 MW threshold and requires a second source of power. Dominion Energy’s Gainesville Substation already exceeds a 300 MW criteria limit for that facility. These limits are in place to help protect service reliability for customers in the event of an emergency.
The residential consumers, commercial and industrial consumers, and government facilities fed from these transmission lines are at risk for prolonged interruption of electric service. Following the severe blackout of 2003, the Reliability Standards became enforceable by an independent authority put in place by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. These standards are designed, and enforced, to ensure that utilities cooperate to reduce risk &ndash; to the system and for customers. The SCC in their February 11, 2016 final order confirmed the need for this project.
Could conservation and better efficiency or system upgrade avoid the need for new infrastructure?
Conservation measures, greater efficiency and demand-side management can reduce demand growth rates, but Dominion Energy does not expect these measures to be sufficient to eliminate the need altogether and is obligated to be prepared to satisfy the load requirements as they occur.
There are no distribution upgrades that would resolve the projected overloads.
Routing a linear facility such as a transmission line involves balancing many considerations. Dominion Energy and NRG will conduct a rigorous routing process and will establish several criteria to facilitate a comparison among the potential routes identified. The evaluation will include a quantitative analysis based on these routing criteria as well as consideration of more subjective or qualitative factors gleaned from site visits and discussions with property owners and other key stakeholders.
For area residents and businesses, improved reliability means fewer outages and shorter durations when outages do occur. The different alternatives being evaluated have different advantages and disadvantages that will have to be carefully weighed. Generally, providing a second line to serve the Warrenton and Wheeler substations will provide redundancy, reducing risk and improving reliability for the future.
Due to the interconnected nature of the electric transmission grid, all NOVEC customers, as well as Rappahannock Electric Cooperative customers, rely on Dominion Energy's transmission infrastructure to deliver reliable power.
Can Dominion Energy build a portion or the entire line underground?
Dominion Energy operates a high-voltage network of approximately 6,100 miles of transmission lines. Of this total, only about 1% (67 miles) is comprised of underground cables. At 230 kilovolts, such as the proposed line, there are approximately 2,600 miles of overhead lines and 44 miles of underground cables in our service area. These underground installations are primarily for large water crossings, dense metro areas, or other areas that are not suitable for overhead lines.
As part of the SCC application, Dominion Energy completes an evaluation of potential environmental, cultural, and historical impacts of the Warrenton Wheeler Gainesville 230kV Reliability Project. Dominion Energy works with many local and state agencies to complete these evaluations and mitigate any impacts. The company also submits annual Erosion and Sedimentation (E&S) Control Specifications and an anticipated list of transmission line projects for the construction and maintenance of transmission lines to the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation for review and approval. For program year 2014, this project will be included in the annual submittal for approval prior to construction. Our contractors receive copies of the E&S specifications and any additional permit conditions prior to construction and are directed to meet any requirements. The right-of-way will be rehabilitated when construction is complete. Our enterprise-wide environmental report describes our commitment to responsible stewardship of natural resources and provides a wealth of information on environmental management and performance.
Trees are cut to be no more than 3 inches above ground level. In the right-of-way, debris that is adjacent to homes will be disposed of by chipping or removal. In other more rural areas, debris may be mulched or chipped as practicable. Clearing will be accomplished by hand in wetland areas and within 100 feet of streams. Care will be taken not to leave debris in streams or wetland areas. Matting will be used for heavy equipment in these areas. Erosion control devices will be used on an ongoing basis during all clearing activities.