Lauren Lillestolen of the Coalition to Protect the Broad Run Stream Valley was walking through grasslands in Loudoun County, VA, when she suddenly crossed paths with a buck. The deer was just as surprised to see her and ran away, leaving Lillestolen to continue following the route where a power line might cut through her community.
On April 9, the Virginia State Corporation Commission approved the Golden-Mars transmission line, which is designed to supply energy to internet-enabling data centers. The exact route remains uncertain as opponents leverage conservation easements to delay the project.
The transmission line is one of three projects that make up what Dominion Energy calls its Loudoun Reliability Loop. The lines will connect the Aspen, Golden, Mars and Wishing Star substations near Ashburn, VA. The region is home to Northern Virginia’s Data Center Alley, which consists of more than 199 data centers…