Dominion Energy sues Prince William County over substation rejection

Dominion Energy has filed a lawsuit against Prince William County in the County Circuit Court, challenging the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous denial of a special use permit for the Vint Hill substation expansion project.

The utility company argues that the project is essential to maintain regional grid reliability amidst unprecedented electric load growth from residential, commercial, industrial, and data center customers. Dominion claims the county’s decision is “unlawful” and warns that thousands of Northern Virginia residents could lose access to adequate service if the expansion is not completed.

The proposed project involves installing 500 kilovolt transformers and a gas-insulated substation, which would expand the footprint of the existing substation on Dominion-owned property. Local officials and residents had previously opposed the plan due to transparency concerns and potential noise and environmental impacts on nearby homes and school grounds.