September 15, 2026
Loudoun supervisors vote unanimously to oppose Valley North
On September 15 the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to formally oppose the Valley North transmission line and to take part in the case when it reaches the State Corporation Commission. The resolution came from Supervisor Caleb A. Kershner, whose Catoctin District the line would cross, and Chair Phyllis J. Randall. It also assigns a county staff member to track PJM and asks the SCC to hold a hearing here in Loudoun.
Lovettsville area resident and high school teacher Charles Hansen told the board, “There is nothing reasonable about placing 765-kilovolt towers and lines near homes, farms, churches, schools, and cemeteries. Valley Link’s proposed routes would cross or come dangerously close to family backyards, historic farms, businesses, and dozens of conservation easements, many of them held by this board.” Mayor Christopher Hornbaker and Vice Mayor Tom Budnar urged the supervisors to act. Kershner called it the most significant issue he has handled in the Catoctin District.
Vice Chair Michael Turner argued the line should be buried as HVDC instead. “It is decades-old technology,” he said. “And I don’t want to hear from any corporation, ‘it can’t be done.’ That’s a lie.” Loudoun now joins Frederick County, which passed its resolution in July, and Clarke County in August. Valley Link has still not filed its application with the SCC.