Routing Process

This short guide will help you understand the process that Dominion Energy undergoes for routing new electric transmission lines - from developing options to gaining final approval.

First, we develop a study area that includes the two end points of the project. The area between and immediately surrounding these end points is defined as the Study Area.

The study area is examined to determine areas of significance in several different categories including land ownership, community impacts, historic resources, cultural resources, environmental impacts, habitats, wetlands, waterbodies, existing infrastructure, protected areas, conservation areas, public use spaces, highways, railways, airports, government property, tribal interests, environmental justice, planned land use, and more.

Using the collected data, we identify areas of constraint. The line cannot be located in these areas because of important features, like the location of an airport. Areas of opportunity are areas that run in parallel to existing infrastructure including transmission lines, roads, railways, and open spaces that have not been developed. Using this analysis, conceptual routes are created.

This information is reviewed with the help of local governments, organizations, landowners, community groups, Native American Tribes and other stakeholders to determine if any of the conceptual routes need to be eliminated or modified. This results in a web of potential links called study segments.

The study segments are reviewed with a wider audience to refine, remove, or modify the links. Public input helps to narrow down the possible links into a few “finalists” or alternative routes.

After several iterations of review with the public and stakeholders, and with consideration for cost, impacts, constructability, and time-to-construct, we determine a preferred route. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) requires submittal of a preferred route as well as refined alternatives. Our application is submitted to the SCC for review, and outlines the need for the project, our routing process, and presents the preferred and alternative routes.

After careful review of the application, the SCC decides on the final route to be built.

Your feedback is extremely important to us, and we have created a tool to help you submit location-based comments. To explore the proposed route and give us your feedback, please CLICK HERE