European Trip Gives Weight To May's Push For Underground Utilities

Del. Joe May (R-33) recently returned from a trip to Europe, where instead of architectural or cultural sightseeing, the aim was to see how transmission lines are buried across the pond.

May, an engineer by trade, took time Monday to make the case that putting transmission lines underground, as is done in Denmark and France, among other places, is safe and, as May said, "within a country mile" cost-wise when compared with above-ground lines.

The topic is a hot one for Virginia's elected officials, as many on both sides of the aisle aim to please constituents by fighting Dominion Virginia Power's plans to construct an above-ground 500 kv power line stretching from the Meadowbrook substation in Frederick County to the Loudoun substation near Arcola.

May said some Dominion officials, who had a chance to meet with their European counterparts, joined him on the trip.

"They do it routinely," May said of burying transmission lines. "They do it regularly. They bet their economies on it."

But Dominion officials Tuesday said the vast majority of power lines in the countries the entourage visited were above ground. Underground lines wouldn't be new to Virginia, they said, noting underground lines in Crystal City and under the Elizabeth River in southeast Virginia. But costs and reliability are still an issue, according to Dominion.

"When it does fail, it takes weeks to make repairs, where overhead repairs will take hours" said John Smatlak, Dominion's vice president of electric transmission. "In that regard, yes, it is less reliable."

The battle over the power lines has already forced Dominion to find a less intrusive route. Dominion's original choice was a line that passed through Rappahannock, Culpeper, Fauquier, Prince William and Loudoun counties. Dominion and Allegheny Power have insisted the line is required to bring badly needed power to the fast-growing Northern Virginia area. But opponents continue to say the power companies' real reason for the high-voltage line is to export electricity to the profitable Northeast Coast region.

But Dominion Power, citing increased costs, has balked at the idea of digging ditches to bury transmission lines. May suggested per-mile costs for burying lines would be around $4 million. He said earlier statements by the power company predicted that going the underground route would cost between $5 million and $8 million more.

Smatlak said estimates he saw overseas were two-to-eight times more expensive than above ground lines.

"We did see a lot of overhead transmission in both countries we were in," Smatlak said. "By a lot, I mean over 90 percent. I think they look at it, and when the situation is right [they bury the lines]. They look at reliability and cost effectiveness."

May also indicated that the General Assembly ought to change policy to give utilities such as Dominion Power incentives for innovation instead of for "delivering cheap power." May also said he'd like to see the estimated costs for above ground transmission lines include price adjustments for the diminished property value the lines might cause.

May said the Dominion officials along on the trip were receptive. A call to Dominion Virginia Power Tuesday seeking comment wasn't immediately returned.

But asked if he thought future power lines in Loudoun County would go underground, May hedged his bet.

"I'm guardedly optimistic that we'll end up with some underground in Loudoun," he said. "And it's not just for Loudoun, but for the 12-plus transmission lines coming over the next five years."

May's press conference didn't have the feel of election-year theater. Democratic state Senator Mark Herring (D-33) sat in and listened as May gave a summation of his trip overseas. Both assemblymen agreed that transmission lines are a bipartisan issue.

"I wanted to show that Del. May and I are working together in a bipartisan fashion to make sure power lines in our area go underground," Herring said.

May and Herring both have reelection challenges this year. Democrat Marty Martinez is opposing May. Herring is facing Republican Patricia Phillips.