A Stafford-based citizen group says Dominion Energy has delayed filing key segments of its proposed high-voltage transmission line and split the project in two, giving opponents more time to organize.
In an email to supporters this month, Towering Concerns said Dominion is postponing its State Corporation Commission application for segments 3 through 7 of what the utility now calls the North Anna to Bristers 500 kV and 230 kV project. The group said Dominion will file the southern portion in the coming weeks and the northern portion — which includes all of Stafford County — within a year.
“Dominion HEARD OUR VOICES,” the email stated. Group leaders said members spoke directly with Dominion representatives by phone in July and August. According to Towering Concerns, company officials told them the route was split because of feedback from the group and a relative lack of opposition farther south. The email also claimed Dominion representatives said there is no engineering problem with the proposed Thornburg substation and that the change stemmed from community intervention.
Towering Concerns has been one of the most visible local opponents of the project, which residents nicknamed the “Kraken” after Dominion’s earlier project name. The line is planned to run roughly 70 miles from the North Anna Power Station area through Louisa, Spotsylvania, Caroline, Stafford and Fauquier counties. Critics say the northern corridor would pass near multiple Stafford schools and hundreds of homes.
Dominion’s public project page confirms the work has been divided into two separate SCC applications: North Anna to Thornburg (the southern leg) and Thornburg to Bristers (the northern leg that crosses Stafford). The company has listed a fall 2026 target for the southern filing and a 2027 target for the northern filing. Dominion has previously said the split gives it more time to review routes, technical needs and environmental factors on the longer northern portion.
Potomac Local contacted Dominion Energy’s Northern Virginia media representative and transmission communications contacts to confirm the group’s specific claims about timing, alternate routing, and the role of community feedback. As of publication, the company had not responded.
Towering Concerns said Stafford remains at risk and that the delay simply buys more time. The group plans to keep contacting HOAs, local officials and residents, and said its next focus will include the proposed Dominion-NextEra merger, which it argues could affect the transmission project.
The organization is asking volunteers to help with video documentation of affected areas, proofreading SCC filings, speaking at HOA and PTA meetings, and posting roadside signs. It also continues to solicit donations, noting that board members serve as volunteers.
The North Anna to Bristers project is driven by rising electricity demand, particularly from data centers in Northern Virginia. Dominion has described the new lines as necessary for grid reliability. Local opponents counter that the route would lower property values, clear wide corridors of trees, and place high-voltage infrastructure too close to schools and neighborhoods.
No SCC application has been filed yet for either portion of the project. Residents who want to track updates can visit Dominion’s project page or follow Towering Concerns for the group’s organizing efforts.
