I have attached two fact sheets outlining the benefits that federal appliance standards have provided Virginia, as well as two federal fact sheets explaining the current threats to appliance efficiency standards in support of HB672.

If you’re tired of the 9-to-5 grind or just want a way to put some extra cash in your pocket every week, I have something for you. Companies are currently looking for remote writers to handle: Article Writing Blog Posts Social Media Content Live Chat Support No experience is necessary and full training is provided. But before you apply, you need to see which role you’re best suited for. Go here to take the Writing Job Quiz. ---> http://PaidToWrite.Online/ Once you finish the quiz, you’ll get a breakdown of the best opportunities available for you right now. Visit -----> http://PaidToWrite.Online/

Invasives should be pulled or killed by herbicide and not be permitted to be sold in nurseries

Comments Document

Attached: 2 state fact sheets, 1 national fact sheet, and 1 list of impacted products

For Bill HB895 Mr Chairman and members of the committtee, I am Will Stewart, a degreed electro-mechanical engineer focused on energy with a additional degree in computer science with an emphasis on scientific computing 1. One thing missing from the legislation is language requiring an energy model balancing energy generation, storage, demand on an hourly basis, utilizing 10 or more years of solar and wind data. The model must utilize a freely available tool such as MIT's Macro. The model and all data inputs, configurations, and algorithms of every kind must be provided to SCC and organizations capable of evaluating the model and model outputs. The model and data inputs must be executed annually with updated data. See https://energy.mit.edu/research/macro/ for more information on Macro. 2. On a related matter, Storage capacity co-located with solar and/or wind allows for the steady transmission of power over transmission lines. If batteries are at other locations, especially distant ones such as data centers, there will be very high power (4 to 5 times the average demand) transmission requirements as the RPS approaches and passes the 75% clean energy level to transmit power from solar farms during their midday peak to distant consumers, creating an extremely expensive transmission upgrades above and beyond transmission upgrades for new data centers. The energy model noted in the first comment would confirm this affordability risk.

Comments by Sky Kincaid in Support of HB895 I'm writing to support the HB895 bill, which focuses energy storage, for several reasons: 1. This bill increases the minimum energy storage requirements for our electrical grid. Having energy storage makes the grid more reliable and flexible by making use of excess energy generated during the day. 2. Currently, utilities focus on expensive and polluting fossil fuel plants. This bill creates incentives for electric utilities to consider Virginian's needs. 3. PJM has done a bad job at adding renewable energy to the grid and this bill directs the Department of Energy to address PJM's shortcomings. I think this bill is very important for addressing our needs in Virginia.

Comments by Martin Erb in Support of HB895 HB895 establishes minimum energy storage requirements for Virginia’s electrical grid over the next 25 years. There are many good reasons to pass this bill into law. My support is rooted in the fact that ample efficient energy storage is a prerequisite for the many technologies being developed and deployed around the globe that enable lower energy costs by modernizing the load and provider switching functions using the existing energy transport grid (PJM’s responsibility) AND the sub-station and distribution networks (operated by Dominion and Appalachian Power) as well. This will reduce BOTH rate payers and energy producers’ OpEx AND CapEx. Dominion’s planning group has already begun running energy storage demonstration projects critical to: • Catch up to meet the VCEA milestones, • Leverage RGGI+, • Continue to meet projected peak load, AND • Prepare for a performance-based service future: Electricity as a Service.

Please refer to my attachment

Please support this bill. Battery storage goes hand in hand with renewable energy sources. Solar is safe, solar on agriculture land allows the land to also be grazed by sheep or used to grow hay or used to grow pollinator plants for commercial honey production or even low growing high value perennial crops like strawberries and low bush blueberries. Modern batteries are safe. This bill will give localities expertise to fall back on in terms of reliable standards for locating energy storage projects. Most localities have appropriate areas like industrial parks for these projects. Or on site with a solar project or electrical substations. Renewables are modern reliable technology. And battery projects are also modern reliable technology. Please support this bill to provide needed guidance to localities and clear up the misinformation about battery storage

I oppose any and all bills that would advance solar projects. Any solar project has significant potential consequences but those with battery storage are even more likely to cause serious issues. Battery fires are almost impossible to stop and control. Solar projects as a whole do long term significant damage to the land where they are located leaving the land sterile and unusable long after the 35 year life span of the project. Ground water ( well water) contamination is a very serious and real possibility.

BESS siting is a land use decision. Land use decisions should be made at the local not the state level. Local Boards of Supervisors are better equipped to decide where BESS is located in their County as they are familiar with the natural environment and the fire dangers and risk relative to the local environment when considering BESS projects. The projects should not be forced upon localities. They should be placed in areas that are not dangerous to people, timberland, and agriculture. In most cases locals believe that if they are approved BESS should be located in Industrial areas not agricultural.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1487 and HB1491, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am a homeowner in Ridges at Loudoun Valley Condominiums. My home is located along Loudoun County Parkway. I PROTEST OVERHEAD HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINES BEING CONSTRUCTED WITHIN FEET OF MY HOME. NOT ONLY WILL IT DRASTICALLY DECREASE THE VALUE OF MY HOME; IT IS DANGEROUS! I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing on behalf of Loudoun Valley Estates, a residential community currently facing the prospect of high-voltage transmission infrastructure being routed literally through our neighborhood. I urge the subcommittee to advance HB1491 and HB1487 out of subcommittee. For our community, this process has caused real stress, anxiety, and dismay. Many residents have asked a simple but painful question: what have we done wrong that this is happening to us? The answer increasingly appears to be nothing more than geography and convenience. In our case, the “options” we have been presented with are deeply troubling. If Dominion does not get its desired routing through our elementary and high schools, we have been presented with an alternative that would place transmission towers up to approximately 185 feet in residents’ backyards and through HOA property. That is the “choice” we have been given - and I use that word loosely, because communities like ours have no meaningful ability to force a reasonable alternative. I recently met with the former mayor and a current councilmember of Chino Hills, California, a community that experienced a similar outcome. The visual impact of large-scale transmission infrastructure routed near homes there is stark. I would encourage members of this subcommittee to view the publicly available photos documenting that project here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066820513518&sk=photos If those images reflected your own neighborhood, how would you feel? With the way these projects are increasingly being pursued, it is not difficult to imagine that any community could be next. Communities like ours are not opposed to infrastructure or growth. We understand the need for reliable power and evolving energy demands. What we oppose is a process where utilities, armed with vast resources and full-time staff, are able to litigate projects forward while residential neighborhoods are left to respond with part-time volunteers, limited expertise, and little meaningful leverage. Even as a relatively organized HOA, the imbalance is overwhelming. Many communities across Virginia are far less equipped than we are. The result is that residential neighborhoods become the path of least resistance - not because it is right, but because it is expedient. That is not a sustainable or equitable way to build critical infrastructure. HB1491 and HB1487 represent a reasonable and necessary first step toward restoring balance. They do not stop projects, but they do send a clear signal that routing decisions, proximity to homes and schools, and genuine evaluation of alternatives matter. They move us toward solutions that balance reliability needs with the real human impacts borne by communities. To any delegate uncertain about supporting this legislation, I would simply ask: if this were your neighborhood, your home, or your child’s school, would you feel the current process is fair? These bills are not radical. They are a measured effort to ensure that progress does not come at any cost, and that communities are not treated as expendable in the process. We respectfully ask the subcommittee to allow these bills to move forward for full consideration. Thank you for your time and attention to the real impacts these decisions have on Virginia’s communities.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1487 and HB1491 as good starting points for Virginia legislation. I believe it is the duty of the SCC and the state to prioritize residents and quality of life, though it may be easier and more beneficial for both governmental and legislative entities to be swayed by corporate interests. Building overhead high voltage powerlines without definitive answers about their health and long term impacts sets a dangerous precedent in our county, state, and nation. We must find alternative methods backed by science and not pushed forward the quickest solution based solely on corporate profits.

I’m writing as a Virginia homeowner who is directly affected by a pending State Corporation Commission case that could place high-voltage transmission lines less than 100 feet from my home. Because this decision has real consequences for my family’s safety, health, and quality of life, I strongly support HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer, more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. For homeowners like me, the siting process isn’t theoretical — it determines whether major infrastructure is routed close to where our families live, whether impacts are minimized, and whether our community is treated fairly in the decision-making process. Requiring the SCC to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards also better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. When a proposal could put lines within 100 feet of a home, it’s only responsible to evaluate alternatives that could reduce community impacts. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible — with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility — gives Virginia a practical way to gather real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that families are not put at risk simply because their neighborhood is the most convenient route. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I want State Corporation Commission (SCC) to prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection when approving routes. Lines should be 150 feet of homes, schools, daycares, parks, recreational areas, or places of worship unless no other feasible alternative exists. I support HB1487 to explore underground powerlines. The impact of overhead lines and cost of underground lines should not be a health hazard or a financial burden on families who are current living in Loudoun county.

I strongly support HB1491 and HB1487, which improve how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 sets clearer, stronger standards for siting transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection—and to avoid routing lines near homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists—the bill establishes a practical and responsible framework for infrastructure planning. It ensures transmission decisions better reflect community development patterns and locally adopted comprehensive plans. HB1487 complements this approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be placed underground where technically feasible, with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility, gives the Commonwealth critical real-world data. Extending the reporting period through 2033 ensures undergrounding decisions are guided by evidence, not speculation. Together, these bills make clear that residential communities should not be the default route for major transmission infrastructure. They do not halt needed projects; they require that alternatives be meaningfully evaluated and that communities are no longer treated as the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Thank you for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Here’s a clean rephrased version that keeps the substance and tone but smooths and varies the language: I am writing to voice my support for HB1491 and HB1487, legislation that improves how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 sets clearer, more protective siting standards for transmission lines operating at 138 kilovolts or higher. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to explicitly prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection—and to avoid placing lines near homes, schools, and other sensitive locations unless no reasonable alternative exists—the bill takes a practical and balanced approach to infrastructure development. These standards better reflect how communities actually function and grow, and they align transmission planning with local comprehensive plans created through public input. HB1487 complements this effort by taking a forward-looking approach to underground transmission. Expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program to allow limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be built underground where technically feasible—while ensuring cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility—will provide the Commonwealth with meaningful real-world data. Extending the program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that future decisions about undergrounding are guided by long-term evidence rather than speculation. Together, these bills acknowledge that residential neighborhoods should not automatically be treated as the most convenient route for major transmission infrastructure. They do not prevent necessary projects from moving forward, but they do require that alternatives be thoroughly considered and that communities are not simply chosen as the path of least resistance. I respectfully urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both measures to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my family’s support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing this to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. I thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration. Sincerely, Mahamudul Huda 22809 Watson Heights Circle Ashburn, VA 20148

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I support the common sense bills HB 1487 and HB 1491 that Delegate JJ Singh has introduced. These bills keep the needs of residents and community in mind while advancing energy infrastructure. We need solutions that protect our health and our communities while applying solutions that show successful results. VA General Assemble should first and foremost protect the interests of the citizens as elected officials. For these reasons, I submit my testimony in support of these bills.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Hello Mr.Singh, I am a resident of Ashburn, VA. Proposed high-tension electric power lines will impact our community and will have adverse effects on our health . We thank you for your consideration and support our efforts to block these overhead lines. Instead we are in favor of an underground electric cables. In that regard, I express my full support to you on HB1487 and HB1491

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Members of the Committee, I am writing in strong support of HB1491 and HB1487 because these bills confront a reality that too often goes unspoken: when transmission lines are planned without clear guardrails, it is families, children, and neighborhoods who bear the cost. For decades, residential communities have been treated as the easiest solution—the path of least resistance—when siting massive high-voltage transmission infrastructure. Homes, schools, playgrounds, and places of worship are not abstract dots on a map. They are where children sleep, where seniors spend their days, and where Virginians have invested their life savings with the expectation of safety, stability, and thoughtful planning. HB1491 is a necessary corrective. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, the bill restores balance to a process that has leaned too heavily toward convenience over consequence. Avoiding routes near homes and schools unless no feasible alternative exists is not radical—it is responsible governance. It aligns transmission planning with the way communities actually exist and grow, and with comprehensive plans shaped through local public input. Virginians should not discover after the fact that their neighborhood was deemed expendable. HB1487 looks forward instead of backward. Expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program acknowledges what many communities are already asking: if safer, less disruptive alternatives are technically feasible, they deserve real consideration—not dismissal. Allowing limited 500 kV underground projects, with transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility, creates the data Virginia needs to make informed, evidence-based decisions. Extending reporting through 2033 ensures that we are guided by facts and lived experience, not outdated assumptions. Together, these bills send a clear message: Virginia’s communities are not collateral damage in the pursuit of infrastructure. HB1491 and HB1487 do not block progress. They insist that progress be thoughtful, humane, and worthy of public trust. I urge you to advance both bills. The decisions made here will shape not just transmission corridors, but the daily lives and long-term well-being of thousands of Virginians. Thank you for your time, your service, and your consideration. Respectfully,

I am writing to express my strong support for HB 1491 and HB 1487. These bills provide a much-needed framework for how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited across the Commonwealth. As Virginia’s energy needs grow, it is vital that we update our infrastructure standards to protect the people these lines serve. Here is why I believe these bills are essential: HB 1491: Prioritizing People and Safety This bill establishes common-sense siting standards for lines of 138 kV or more. By requiring the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to prioritize public health and environmental protection, it ensures that transmission lines aren't simply routed through the "path of least resistance." It correctly identifies that homes and schools should be protected unless no feasible alternative exists. HB 1487: Innovating through Undergrounding By expanding the underground transmission pilot program to include qualifying 500 kV projects, Virginia can gain critical, real-world data on the feasibility of moving major infrastructure below ground. The extension of the reporting period through 2033 ensures that our future policy decisions will be based on long-term evidence and financial transparency, rather than guesswork. A Balanced Path Forward Together, these bills do not halt necessary infrastructure; instead, they ensure that residential communities are not treated as the default location for major utility projects. They demand a genuine evaluation of alternatives and respect the local comprehensive plans that our communities have worked hard to develop. I urge you and the committee to support HB 1491 and HB 1487 and allow both to advance. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting Virginia’s residents.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Scenic America submits this letter in strong support of HB 1487, which establishes a pilot program for underground transmission lines in Virginia. The letter explains why undergrounding is a prudent, data‑driven approach that improves grid reliability, resilience, safety, environmental protection, community character, and long‑term cost efficiency. It outlines the benefits of undergrounding—including reduced outages, lower maintenance and vegetation‑management costs, enhanced public safety, economic and ecological advantages, and preservation of scenic beauty—and urges the subcommittee to advance the bill.

I've been a resident of Loudoun Valley Estates for the past twenty years. But the power company has proposed to installed a 185 feet tall monopole carrying a 500kv powerline in the middle of my backyard. The wires are less than 100 feet from my house and neighbor’s houses. These pose serious safety and health risks to my family and all residents of Ashburn. And this line as it is stands is in violation of the Housing and Urban Development guideline: the distance between a High-Voltage Power Line and a Non-Participating landowner’s property line shall be not less than 2.5 times the tower height -- in our case it’s should be 462.5 feet away from residential properties. The Golden to Mars project also violates our constitution rights, Article XI. Conservation; To the end that the people have clean air, pure water, and the use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources. What the power company threatens to do is cut down thousands of mature trees in 100-foot wide, 8-miles long stretch and install 185 feet tall poles right next to the Broad Run River, destroying our forest, wildlife habitat, and polluting our water and air all along the river and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed. Please support HB1491 and HB1487, and put citizen safety ahead of corporate greed. It is the right thing to do, because what we need most now is future-forward, people-first thinking.

I am writing in support of HB1487 and HB1491. I am in favor of moving transmission lines underground especially when they pass near homes. If these power lines were built before the homes were built the home owners would be making a conscious decision to buy homes near them. However do build these power lines so many years after people are well settled in these Ashburn communities is very unfair to all those property owners given the home could be their largest investment. Please vote in favor of these two bills - HB1487 and HB1491.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487. These bills address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. These bills require the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requesting the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

My name is Madison Taggart and I’ve lived in Loudoun Valley Estates for almost all my life. The power company has proposed to installed a 185 feet tall monopole carrying a 500kv power line in the middle of my backyard. The wires are less than 100 feet from my house and neighbor’s houses, posing serious safety and health risks to my family and all residents of Ashburn, and like all the other proposed lines the power company has suggested cause unneeded damage without regard for the wellbeing of the public. This proposed high-voltage power line is in violation of the Housing and Urban Development guideline which clearly states the distance between a High-Voltage Power Line and a Non-Participating landowner’s property line shall be not less than 2.5 times the tower height -- in our case these lines should be 462.5 feet away from residential property lines instead under 100 feet away from where we'd stand on the deck on the inside of our property. The Golden to Mars project also violates our constitution rights, specifically Article XI. Conservation. It states that people must have clean air, pure water, and the ability to use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources. What the power company threatens to do is cut down thousands of mature trees in 100-foot wide, 8-miles long stretch and install 185 feet tall poles right next to the Broad Run River. This will destroy our forest, displacing hundreds of native animals and killing native plants like mature dogwood, oaks, and cedar. The presence of poles so close to vulnerable river beds will also inevitably pollute our water and air all along the river and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed, worsening quality of life for everyone in the area. The reckless, poorly-planned infrastructure taking over our county must be stopped, and properly regulated so that no one is forced to sacrifice their homes for a project that doesn't directly benefit them. Please support HB1491 and HB1487, and put citizen safety ahead of corporate greed. It is the right thing to do, because what we need most now is future-forward, people-first thinking.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Members of the Virginia House, My name is Min Pak, and I am writing as a homeowner, a parent, and a deeply concerned member of this community. The proposed placement of a 500-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line just 145 feet from my home has forced my family and many others to confront risks we never imagined when we chose our neighborhood as a safe place to raise our children. These bills are not about stopping progress. Virginia needs reliable energy infrastructure to support growth. But progress must be pursued responsibly and with respect for the people who will live with the consequences long after construction is complete. HB1491 establishes reasonable distance protections between massive transmission lines and homes, schools, parks, and places of worship. No family should have to wonder whether infrastructure built practically in their backyard could impact their health, safety, or financial stability. When alternatives exist, placing these lines so close to residential communities is neither necessary nor justifiable. HB1487 moves Virginia toward smarter infrastructure by expanding the opportunity for underground transmission in residential areas. Undergrounding is not simply an aesthetic preference — it is an investment in resilience, safety, and long-term community preservation. Responsible planning today prevents irreversible harm tomorrow. The impact for families are profound: Health and peace of mind: Parents should not have to live with persistent fear about potential long-term impacts on their children. Financial security: For most families, a home is their largest investment. Significant property value loss can erase years of savings and stability through no fault of the homeowner. Community integrity: Established neighborhoods should not bear disproportionate burdens for infrastructure that serves broader commercial demand. Virginia has long recognized that infrastructure decisions must protect the public interest and minimize harm wherever possible. Passing these bills affirms that principle. It signals that the Commonwealth values thoughtful planning over convenience and people over expediency. This is ultimately a question of fairness. Families like mine followed the rules, invested in our communities, and trusted that our homes would remain places of safety. We are not asking for special treatment — only for reasonable protections and modern solutions that reflect the realities of today’s growing communities. You have the opportunity to ensure that Virginia’s growth does not come at the expense of the very families who make our communities strong. By supporting HB1487 and HB1491, you are choosing balanced progress — infrastructure that meets demand while safeguarding health, homes, and neighborhoods. I urge you to stand with Virginia families and pass these critical bills. Respectfully, Min Pak

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing with urgency and deep concern to urge your support for HB1491 and HB1487. For Loudoun County and communities across Northern Virginia, these bills are not theoretical policy debates—they are about protecting neighborhoods, families, and the future of some of the Commonwealth’s fastest-growing and most vibrant communities. Northern Virginia is home to thousands of families who have invested their lives, savings, and hopes in their communities. Parents expect their children to attend schools free from unnecessary environmental and health risks. Homeowners expect that careful local planning will be respected. Yet too often, high-voltage transmission projects are proposed in ways that place massive infrastructure directly through residential neighborhoods simply because it is the easiest or cheapest route. HB1491 represents a critical shift toward fairness and responsibility. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection—and to avoid routing transmission lines near homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists—the bill puts people before convenience. It ensures that Loudoun’s comprehensive plans, shaped through years of public engagement and thoughtful growth management, are treated as meaningful guides rather than obstacles to be ignored. HB1487 offers Northern Virginia a forward-looking path. Expanding the underground transmission pilot program recognizes that in dense, rapidly developing regions like ours, traditional overhead lines are not always the only or best option. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be built underground where technically feasible—while requiring transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility—gives Virginia real data and real experience. Extending the reporting period through 2033 ensures that future decisions affecting Loudoun and Northern Virginia are grounded in evidence, not assumptions. Taken together, these bills send a clear message: Loudoun County and Northern Virginia communities should not be treated as the default corridor for major transmission infrastructure simply because they are growing and politically convenient. These bills do not halt needed energy projects. They demand that alternatives be seriously considered and that communities are not treated as the path of least resistance. The choices you make today will shape the character, health, and livability of Northern Virginia for generations. Families in Loudoun County are paying attention. They are asking for leadership that recognizes that infrastructure should serve communities—not sacrifice them. I respectfully urge you to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Loudoun County and Northern Virginia deserve thoughtful, people-centered planning that reflects both our growth and our values. Thank you for your time and your commitment to the communities you represent. Respectfully, Debra A Smith Loudon County Resident

HB1491 and HB 1487 bills, taken together, recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing in strong support of HB1491 and HB1487, two bills that responsibly modernize how high‑voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 creates clearer, more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kV and above. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to explicitly prioritize public health, safety, environmental protection, and meaningful avoidance of homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, the bill brings much‑needed balance and common sense to infrastructure planning. These standards better reflect how communities actually live and grow, and they align transmission siting with local comprehensive plans developed through public input. HB1487 complements this approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing a limited number of qualifying 500 kV projects to be built underground—where technically feasible and supported by transparent costs, local engagement, and shared financial responsibility—will give the Commonwealth real‑world data and experience. Extending the reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are guided by long‑term evidence rather than assumptions. Together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest path for major transmission infrastructure. They do not impede necessary projects; instead, they ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I respectfully urge the committee to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487 and the more responsible approach they take to siting high-voltage electric transmission infrastructure. These bills introduce needed clarity and discipline into a process that too often defaults to the most convenient option. HB1491 makes clear that public health, safety, and environmental impacts must be given real weight, and that residential neighborhoods should not be treated as the easiest or automatic corridor for major transmission lines unless no reasonable alternative exists. That is a straightforward expectation of sound planning. HB1487 takes a practical, forward-looking step by expanding the underground transmission pilot program. Allowing a limited number of qualifying projects to be built underground where technically feasible, with cost transparency and shared financial responsibility, creates an opportunity to evaluate undergrounding based on real-world results. Extending reporting ensures that future decisions are informed by experience rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills do not prevent necessary infrastructure from moving forward. They require better analysis, better choices, and fairer treatment of affected communities. I urge the committee to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Sincerely, G K

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Dear Mr Singh, I appreciate the work you are doing on this. Our county of less than 450 thousand people, that accounts for 0.0054% of worlds population has been bearing an unusual and an accidental burden of supporting over 70% of worlds internet traffic. This has come at a cost of having to live in a world filled with data centers, the different flavors of pollution they are known to bring, and the growing advancements of power companies that are looking to build overhead high power lines to help connect different energy grids to support drive this growth at break neck speed, all with a due process that has not advanced to adopt and bring some sense of sanity , or paused to be relooked at and appropriately calibrated. There is no end in sight for how this will all evolve and what our population is going to be brought to bear. I implore you and the offices that represent Loudoun 's people to take a stand to put in relevant checks and balances in place with a people first mind set, not bending to the wills and pressures of the powers that work to fulfil the responsibility of organizations that are are working to support the 70% world population. We really need to pause to rethink. We need to make the time to do so. There can't be anything that can come in the way that's more important than the people of Loudoun. You know you have the people of Loudoun's support for all of what you are looking to pursue to give you the collective strength that's needed to make progress . Thank you again.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration. Thanks for your attention in this matter.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am a resident of LV II, and I strongly support HB1491 and HB1487. These bills recognize something that residents like me live with every day: our neighborhoods should not be the default place to run massive transmission lines. HB1491 puts common sense first by prioritizing public health, safety, and the protection of homes and schools when these projects are planned. HB1487 gives Virginia a chance to seriously explore underground transmission where it makes sense, instead of assuming overhead lines through communities are the only option. Gathering real data over time is the responsible way to make these decisions. We are not asking to stop progress—we are asking to be considered. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow them to move forward. Thank you for listening to the voices of residents like me.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited throughout Virginia(especially residential areas) HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. Which will affect in long run. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

By supporting HB1491 and HB1487, the Commonwealth has a vital opportunity to modernize its approach to energy infrastructure while prioritizing the well-being of its citizens. HB1491 shifts the current paradigm by requiring the State Corporation Commission to treat public health, safety, and local environmental standards as primary considerations rather than secondary concerns, effectively ensuring that high-voltage lines are no longer routed through sensitive residential or educational areas by default. This community-centric planning is perfectly balanced by the forward-looking provisions of HB1487, which utilizes a data-driven pilot program to explore the technical and financial viability of undergrounding 500 kV lines. Together, these measures do not impede necessary grid upgrades, but instead demand a more rigorous evaluation of alternatives to ensure that power transmission is achieved through innovation and shared responsibility rather than simply following the path of least resistance.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I support HB1491 and HB1487. High-voltage transmission infrastructure does not belong in residential neighborhoods, but communities are increasingly becoming the path of least resistance as demand grows. These towering structures introduce permanent visual pollution, transforming scenic vistas and quiet residential corridors into industrial zones, which can lead to a sharp decline in property values. Beyond aesthetics, there are valid concerns regarding the environmental footprint and the increased risk of wildfires sparked by line failures. Many advocates for opposition argue that instead of relying on outdated overhead technology, utilities should prioritize undergrounding cables or investing in decentralized, local renewable energy sources that respect the integrity of the local environment. My humble request is for the committee to support both bills. Thank you. A concerned Loudoun County Resident.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

WE CANNOT HAVE THESE LINES ANYWHERE NEAR OUR HOMES! Not only for the value of properties being jeopardized, but also the safety of our families. We work too hard to enjoy our lives and not subject ourselves to health risks that could be prevented. It is not as if we are purposely looking to do damage to our bodies - this is damage being brought to us, and more importantly, it's preventable.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1487 and HB1491, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am a homeowner in Ridges at Loudoun Valley Condominiums. My home is located along Loudoun County Parkway. I PROTEST OVERHEAD HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINES BEING CONSTRUCTED WITHIN FEET OF MY HOME. NOT ONLY WILL IT DRASTICALLY DECREASE THE VALUE OF MY HOME; IT IS DANGEROUS! I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing on behalf of Loudoun Valley Estates, a residential community currently facing the prospect of high-voltage transmission infrastructure being routed literally through our neighborhood. I urge the subcommittee to advance HB1491 and HB1487 out of subcommittee. For our community, this process has caused real stress, anxiety, and dismay. Many residents have asked a simple but painful question: what have we done wrong that this is happening to us? The answer increasingly appears to be nothing more than geography and convenience. In our case, the “options” we have been presented with are deeply troubling. If Dominion does not get its desired routing through our elementary and high schools, we have been presented with an alternative that would place transmission towers up to approximately 185 feet in residents’ backyards and through HOA property. That is the “choice” we have been given - and I use that word loosely, because communities like ours have no meaningful ability to force a reasonable alternative. I recently met with the former mayor and a current councilmember of Chino Hills, California, a community that experienced a similar outcome. The visual impact of large-scale transmission infrastructure routed near homes there is stark. I would encourage members of this subcommittee to view the publicly available photos documenting that project here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100066820513518&sk=photos If those images reflected your own neighborhood, how would you feel? With the way these projects are increasingly being pursued, it is not difficult to imagine that any community could be next. Communities like ours are not opposed to infrastructure or growth. We understand the need for reliable power and evolving energy demands. What we oppose is a process where utilities, armed with vast resources and full-time staff, are able to litigate projects forward while residential neighborhoods are left to respond with part-time volunteers, limited expertise, and little meaningful leverage. Even as a relatively organized HOA, the imbalance is overwhelming. Many communities across Virginia are far less equipped than we are. The result is that residential neighborhoods become the path of least resistance - not because it is right, but because it is expedient. That is not a sustainable or equitable way to build critical infrastructure. HB1491 and HB1487 represent a reasonable and necessary first step toward restoring balance. They do not stop projects, but they do send a clear signal that routing decisions, proximity to homes and schools, and genuine evaluation of alternatives matter. They move us toward solutions that balance reliability needs with the real human impacts borne by communities. To any delegate uncertain about supporting this legislation, I would simply ask: if this were your neighborhood, your home, or your child’s school, would you feel the current process is fair? These bills are not radical. They are a measured effort to ensure that progress does not come at any cost, and that communities are not treated as expendable in the process. We respectfully ask the subcommittee to allow these bills to move forward for full consideration. Thank you for your time and attention to the real impacts these decisions have on Virginia’s communities.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1487 and HB1491 as good starting points for Virginia legislation. I believe it is the duty of the SCC and the state to prioritize residents and quality of life, though it may be easier and more beneficial for both governmental and legislative entities to be swayed by corporate interests. Building overhead high voltage powerlines without definitive answers about their health and long term impacts sets a dangerous precedent in our county, state, and nation. We must find alternative methods backed by science and not pushed forward the quickest solution based solely on corporate profits.

I’m writing as a Virginia homeowner who is directly affected by a pending State Corporation Commission case that could place high-voltage transmission lines less than 100 feet from my home. Because this decision has real consequences for my family’s safety, health, and quality of life, I strongly support HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer, more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. For homeowners like me, the siting process isn’t theoretical — it determines whether major infrastructure is routed close to where our families live, whether impacts are minimized, and whether our community is treated fairly in the decision-making process. Requiring the SCC to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards also better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. When a proposal could put lines within 100 feet of a home, it’s only responsible to evaluate alternatives that could reduce community impacts. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible — with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility — gives Virginia a practical way to gather real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that families are not put at risk simply because their neighborhood is the most convenient route. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I want State Corporation Commission (SCC) to prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection when approving routes. Lines should be 150 feet of homes, schools, daycares, parks, recreational areas, or places of worship unless no other feasible alternative exists. I support HB1487 to explore underground powerlines. The impact of overhead lines and cost of underground lines should not be a health hazard or a financial burden on families who are current living in Loudoun county.

I strongly support HB1491 and HB1487, which improve how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 sets clearer, stronger standards for siting transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection—and to avoid routing lines near homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists—the bill establishes a practical and responsible framework for infrastructure planning. It ensures transmission decisions better reflect community development patterns and locally adopted comprehensive plans. HB1487 complements this approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be placed underground where technically feasible, with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility, gives the Commonwealth critical real-world data. Extending the reporting period through 2033 ensures undergrounding decisions are guided by evidence, not speculation. Together, these bills make clear that residential communities should not be the default route for major transmission infrastructure. They do not halt needed projects; they require that alternatives be meaningfully evaluated and that communities are no longer treated as the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Thank you for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Here’s a clean rephrased version that keeps the substance and tone but smooths and varies the language: I am writing to voice my support for HB1491 and HB1487, legislation that improves how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 sets clearer, more protective siting standards for transmission lines operating at 138 kilovolts or higher. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to explicitly prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection—and to avoid placing lines near homes, schools, and other sensitive locations unless no reasonable alternative exists—the bill takes a practical and balanced approach to infrastructure development. These standards better reflect how communities actually function and grow, and they align transmission planning with local comprehensive plans created through public input. HB1487 complements this effort by taking a forward-looking approach to underground transmission. Expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program to allow limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be built underground where technically feasible—while ensuring cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility—will provide the Commonwealth with meaningful real-world data. Extending the program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that future decisions about undergrounding are guided by long-term evidence rather than speculation. Together, these bills acknowledge that residential neighborhoods should not automatically be treated as the most convenient route for major transmission infrastructure. They do not prevent necessary projects from moving forward, but they do require that alternatives be thoroughly considered and that communities are not simply chosen as the path of least resistance. I respectfully urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both measures to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my family’s support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing this to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. I thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration. Sincerely, Mahamudul Huda 22809 Watson Heights Circle Ashburn, VA 20148

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I support the common sense bills HB 1487 and HB 1491 that Delegate JJ Singh has introduced. These bills keep the needs of residents and community in mind while advancing energy infrastructure. We need solutions that protect our health and our communities while applying solutions that show successful results. VA General Assemble should first and foremost protect the interests of the citizens as elected officials. For these reasons, I submit my testimony in support of these bills.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Hello Mr.Singh, I am a resident of Ashburn, VA. Proposed high-tension electric power lines will impact our community and will have adverse effects on our health . We thank you for your consideration and support our efforts to block these overhead lines. Instead we are in favor of an underground electric cables. In that regard, I express my full support to you on HB1487 and HB1491

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Members of the Committee, I am writing in strong support of HB1491 and HB1487 because these bills confront a reality that too often goes unspoken: when transmission lines are planned without clear guardrails, it is families, children, and neighborhoods who bear the cost. For decades, residential communities have been treated as the easiest solution—the path of least resistance—when siting massive high-voltage transmission infrastructure. Homes, schools, playgrounds, and places of worship are not abstract dots on a map. They are where children sleep, where seniors spend their days, and where Virginians have invested their life savings with the expectation of safety, stability, and thoughtful planning. HB1491 is a necessary corrective. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, the bill restores balance to a process that has leaned too heavily toward convenience over consequence. Avoiding routes near homes and schools unless no feasible alternative exists is not radical—it is responsible governance. It aligns transmission planning with the way communities actually exist and grow, and with comprehensive plans shaped through local public input. Virginians should not discover after the fact that their neighborhood was deemed expendable. HB1487 looks forward instead of backward. Expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program acknowledges what many communities are already asking: if safer, less disruptive alternatives are technically feasible, they deserve real consideration—not dismissal. Allowing limited 500 kV underground projects, with transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility, creates the data Virginia needs to make informed, evidence-based decisions. Extending reporting through 2033 ensures that we are guided by facts and lived experience, not outdated assumptions. Together, these bills send a clear message: Virginia’s communities are not collateral damage in the pursuit of infrastructure. HB1491 and HB1487 do not block progress. They insist that progress be thoughtful, humane, and worthy of public trust. I urge you to advance both bills. The decisions made here will shape not just transmission corridors, but the daily lives and long-term well-being of thousands of Virginians. Thank you for your time, your service, and your consideration. Respectfully,

I am writing to express my strong support for HB 1491 and HB 1487. These bills provide a much-needed framework for how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited across the Commonwealth. As Virginia’s energy needs grow, it is vital that we update our infrastructure standards to protect the people these lines serve. Here is why I believe these bills are essential: HB 1491: Prioritizing People and Safety This bill establishes common-sense siting standards for lines of 138 kV or more. By requiring the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to prioritize public health and environmental protection, it ensures that transmission lines aren't simply routed through the "path of least resistance." It correctly identifies that homes and schools should be protected unless no feasible alternative exists. HB 1487: Innovating through Undergrounding By expanding the underground transmission pilot program to include qualifying 500 kV projects, Virginia can gain critical, real-world data on the feasibility of moving major infrastructure below ground. The extension of the reporting period through 2033 ensures that our future policy decisions will be based on long-term evidence and financial transparency, rather than guesswork. A Balanced Path Forward Together, these bills do not halt necessary infrastructure; instead, they ensure that residential communities are not treated as the default location for major utility projects. They demand a genuine evaluation of alternatives and respect the local comprehensive plans that our communities have worked hard to develop. I urge you and the committee to support HB 1491 and HB 1487 and allow both to advance. Thank you for your time and for your commitment to protecting Virginia’s residents.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia.

Scenic America submits this letter in support of HB 1491, which strengthens siting standards for major electrical transmission lines in Virginia. The letter explains how the bill’s routing guardrails protect communities, scenic landscapes, open space, wildlife, and property values while still allowing flexibility where alternatives are limited. It highlights the long‑term impacts of poorly sited transmission lines, the economic and ecological importance of avoiding sensitive areas, and the benefits of clear siting expectations for reducing conflicts and delays. Scenic America urges the subcommittee to advance HB 1491 as a practical, community‑focused approach to responsible grid planning.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I've been a resident of Loudoun Valley Estates for the past twenty years. But the power company has proposed to installed a 185 feet tall monopole carrying a 500kv powerline in the middle of my backyard. The wires are less than 100 feet from my house and neighbor’s houses. These pose serious safety and health risks to my family and all residents of Ashburn. And this line as it is stands is in violation of the Housing and Urban Development guideline: the distance between a High-Voltage Power Line and a Non-Participating landowner’s property line shall be not less than 2.5 times the tower height -- in our case it’s should be 462.5 feet away from residential properties. The Golden to Mars project also violates our constitution rights, Article XI. Conservation; To the end that the people have clean air, pure water, and the use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources. What the power company threatens to do is cut down thousands of mature trees in 100-foot wide, 8-miles long stretch and install 185 feet tall poles right next to the Broad Run River, destroying our forest, wildlife habitat, and polluting our water and air all along the river and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed. Please support HB1491 and HB1487, and put citizen safety ahead of corporate greed. It is the right thing to do, because what we need most now is future-forward, people-first thinking.

I am writing in support of HB1487 and HB1491. I am in favor of moving transmission lines underground especially when they pass near homes. If these power lines were built before the homes were built the home owners would be making a conscious decision to buy homes near them. However do build these power lines so many years after people are well settled in these Ashburn communities is very unfair to all those property owners given the home could be their largest investment. Please vote in favor of these two bills - HB1487 and HB1491.

Here is the sample written comment. Please edit as needed, or just submit verbatim. Lets get as many as possible to submit: I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487. These bills address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. These bills require the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requesting the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

My name is Madison Taggart and I’ve lived in Loudoun Valley Estates for almost all my life. The power company has proposed to installed a 185 feet tall monopole carrying a 500kv power line in the middle of my backyard. The wires are less than 100 feet from my house and neighbor’s houses, posing serious safety and health risks to my family and all residents of Ashburn, and like all the other proposed lines the power company has suggested cause unneeded damage without regard for the wellbeing of the public. This proposed high-voltage power line is in violation of the Housing and Urban Development guideline which clearly states the distance between a High-Voltage Power Line and a Non-Participating landowner’s property line shall be not less than 2.5 times the tower height -- in our case these lines should be 462.5 feet away from residential property lines instead under 100 feet away from where we'd stand on the deck on the inside of our property. The Golden to Mars project also violates our constitution rights, specifically Article XI. Conservation. It states that people must have clean air, pure water, and the ability to use and enjoyment for recreation of adequate public lands, waters, and other natural resources. What the power company threatens to do is cut down thousands of mature trees in 100-foot wide, 8-miles long stretch and install 185 feet tall poles right next to the Broad Run River. This will destroy our forest, displacing hundreds of native animals and killing native plants like mature dogwood, oaks, and cedar. The presence of poles so close to vulnerable river beds will also inevitably pollute our water and air all along the river and the greater Chesapeake Bay watershed, worsening quality of life for everyone in the area. The reckless, poorly-planned infrastructure taking over our county must be stopped, and properly regulated so that no one is forced to sacrifice their homes for a project that doesn't directly benefit them. Please support HB1491 and HB1487, and put citizen safety ahead of corporate greed. It is the right thing to do, because what we need most now is future-forward, people-first thinking.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Members of the Virginia House, My name is Min Pak, and I am writing as a homeowner, a parent, and a deeply concerned member of this community. The proposed placement of a 500-kilovolt high-voltage transmission line just 145 feet from my home has forced my family and many others to confront risks we never imagined when we chose our neighborhood as a safe place to raise our children. These bills are not about stopping progress. Virginia needs reliable energy infrastructure to support growth. But progress must be pursued responsibly and with respect for the people who will live with the consequences long after construction is complete. HB1491 establishes reasonable distance protections between massive transmission lines and homes, schools, parks, and places of worship. No family should have to wonder whether infrastructure built practically in their backyard could impact their health, safety, or financial stability. When alternatives exist, placing these lines so close to residential communities is neither necessary nor justifiable. HB1487 moves Virginia toward smarter infrastructure by expanding the opportunity for underground transmission in residential areas. Undergrounding is not simply an aesthetic preference — it is an investment in resilience, safety, and long-term community preservation. Responsible planning today prevents irreversible harm tomorrow. The impact for families are profound: Health and peace of mind: Parents should not have to live with persistent fear about potential long-term impacts on their children. Financial security: For most families, a home is their largest investment. Significant property value loss can erase years of savings and stability through no fault of the homeowner. Community integrity: Established neighborhoods should not bear disproportionate burdens for infrastructure that serves broader commercial demand. Virginia has long recognized that infrastructure decisions must protect the public interest and minimize harm wherever possible. Passing these bills affirms that principle. It signals that the Commonwealth values thoughtful planning over convenience and people over expediency. This is ultimately a question of fairness. Families like mine followed the rules, invested in our communities, and trusted that our homes would remain places of safety. We are not asking for special treatment — only for reasonable protections and modern solutions that reflect the realities of today’s growing communities. You have the opportunity to ensure that Virginia’s growth does not come at the expense of the very families who make our communities strong. By supporting HB1487 and HB1491, you are choosing balanced progress — infrastructure that meets demand while safeguarding health, homes, and neighborhoods. I urge you to stand with Virginia families and pass these critical bills. Respectfully, Min Pak

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Dear Members of the Committee, I am writing with urgency and deep concern to urge your support for HB1491 and HB1487. For Loudoun County and communities across Northern Virginia, these bills are not theoretical policy debates—they are about protecting neighborhoods, families, and the future of some of the Commonwealth’s fastest-growing and most vibrant communities. Northern Virginia is home to thousands of families who have invested their lives, savings, and hopes in their communities. Parents expect their children to attend schools free from unnecessary environmental and health risks. Homeowners expect that careful local planning will be respected. Yet too often, high-voltage transmission projects are proposed in ways that place massive infrastructure directly through residential neighborhoods simply because it is the easiest or cheapest route. HB1491 represents a critical shift toward fairness and responsibility. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection—and to avoid routing transmission lines near homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists—the bill puts people before convenience. It ensures that Loudoun’s comprehensive plans, shaped through years of public engagement and thoughtful growth management, are treated as meaningful guides rather than obstacles to be ignored. HB1487 offers Northern Virginia a forward-looking path. Expanding the underground transmission pilot program recognizes that in dense, rapidly developing regions like ours, traditional overhead lines are not always the only or best option. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be built underground where technically feasible—while requiring transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility—gives Virginia real data and real experience. Extending the reporting period through 2033 ensures that future decisions affecting Loudoun and Northern Virginia are grounded in evidence, not assumptions. Taken together, these bills send a clear message: Loudoun County and Northern Virginia communities should not be treated as the default corridor for major transmission infrastructure simply because they are growing and politically convenient. These bills do not halt needed energy projects. They demand that alternatives be seriously considered and that communities are not treated as the path of least resistance. The choices you make today will shape the character, health, and livability of Northern Virginia for generations. Families in Loudoun County are paying attention. They are asking for leadership that recognizes that infrastructure should serve communities—not sacrifice them. I respectfully urge you to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Loudoun County and Northern Virginia deserve thoughtful, people-centered planning that reflects both our growth and our values. Thank you for your time and your commitment to the communities you represent. Respectfully, Debra A Smith Loudon County Resident

HB1491 and HB 1487 bills, taken together, recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing in strong support of HB1491 and HB1487, two bills that responsibly modernize how high‑voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 creates clearer, more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kV and above. By requiring the State Corporation Commission to explicitly prioritize public health, safety, environmental protection, and meaningful avoidance of homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, the bill brings much‑needed balance and common sense to infrastructure planning. These standards better reflect how communities actually live and grow, and they align transmission siting with local comprehensive plans developed through public input. HB1487 complements this approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing a limited number of qualifying 500 kV projects to be built underground—where technically feasible and supported by transparent costs, local engagement, and shared financial responsibility—will give the Commonwealth real‑world data and experience. Extending the reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are guided by long‑term evidence rather than assumptions. Together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest path for major transmission infrastructure. They do not impede necessary projects; instead, they ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I respectfully urge the committee to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487 and the more responsible approach they take to siting high-voltage electric transmission infrastructure. These bills introduce needed clarity and discipline into a process that too often defaults to the most convenient option. HB1491 makes clear that public health, safety, and environmental impacts must be given real weight, and that residential neighborhoods should not be treated as the easiest or automatic corridor for major transmission lines unless no reasonable alternative exists. That is a straightforward expectation of sound planning. HB1487 takes a practical, forward-looking step by expanding the underground transmission pilot program. Allowing a limited number of qualifying projects to be built underground where technically feasible, with cost transparency and shared financial responsibility, creates an opportunity to evaluate undergrounding based on real-world results. Extending reporting ensures that future decisions are informed by experience rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills do not prevent necessary infrastructure from moving forward. They require better analysis, better choices, and fairer treatment of affected communities. I urge the committee to advance HB1491 and HB1487. Sincerely, G K

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration. Thanks for your attention in this matter.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

I am a resident of LV II, and I strongly support HB1491 and HB1487. These bills recognize something that residents like me live with every day: our neighborhoods should not be the default place to run massive transmission lines. HB1491 puts common sense first by prioritizing public health, safety, and the protection of homes and schools when these projects are planned. HB1487 gives Virginia a chance to seriously explore underground transmission where it makes sense, instead of assuming overhead lines through communities are the only option. Gathering real data over time is the responsible way to make these decisions. We are not asking to stop progress—we are asking to be considered. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow them to move forward. Thank you for listening to the voices of residents like me.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited throughout Virginia(especially residential areas) HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. Which will affect in long run. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

By supporting HB1491 and HB1487, the Commonwealth has a vital opportunity to modernize its approach to energy infrastructure while prioritizing the well-being of its citizens. HB1491 shifts the current paradigm by requiring the State Corporation Commission to treat public health, safety, and local environmental standards as primary considerations rather than secondary concerns, effectively ensuring that high-voltage lines are no longer routed through sensitive residential or educational areas by default. This community-centric planning is perfectly balanced by the forward-looking provisions of HB1487, which utilizes a data-driven pilot program to explore the technical and financial viability of undergrounding 500 kV lines. Together, these measures do not impede necessary grid upgrades, but instead demand a more rigorous evaluation of alternatives to ensure that power transmission is achieved through innovation and shared responsibility rather than simply following the path of least resistance.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment. I support HB1491 and HB1487. High-voltage transmission infrastructure does not belong in residential neighborhoods, but communities are increasingly becoming the path of least resistance as demand grows. These towering structures introduce permanent visual pollution, transforming scenic vistas and quiet residential corridors into industrial zones, which can lead to a sharp decline in property values. Beyond aesthetics, there are valid concerns regarding the environmental footprint and the increased risk of wildfires sparked by line failures. Many advocates for opposition argue that instead of relying on outdated overhead technology, utilities should prioritize undergrounding cables or investing in decentralized, local renewable energy sources that respect the integrity of the local environment. My humble request is for the committee to support both bills. Thank you. A concerned Loudoun County Resident.

I am writing to express my support for HB1491 and HB1487, which address how high-voltage electric transmission lines are planned and sited in Virginia. HB1491 establishes clearer and more protective siting standards for transmission lines of 138 kilovolts or more. Requiring the State Corporation Commission to affirmatively prioritize public health, safety, and environmental protection, and to avoid routing lines close to homes, schools, and other sensitive areas unless no feasible alternative exists, reflects a reasonable and common-sense approach to infrastructure planning. These standards better align transmission siting with how communities actually live and grow, and with local comprehensive plans developed through public process. HB1487 takes a complementary and forward-looking approach by expanding Virginia’s underground transmission pilot program. Allowing limited, qualifying 500 kV projects to be constructed underground where technically feasible - with cost transparency, local support, and shared financial responsibility - provides the Commonwealth with valuable real-world data and experience. Extending the pilot program’s reporting period through 2033 ensures that decisions about undergrounding are informed by long-term evidence rather than assumptions. Taken together, these bills recognize that residential communities should not be treated as the default or easiest place to run major transmission infrastructure. They do not stop needed projects, but they do ensure that alternatives are genuinely evaluated and that communities are not simply the path of least resistance. I urge the committee to support HB1491 and HB1487 and allow both bills to advance. Thank you for the opportunity to comment and for your consideration.

WE CANNOT HAVE THESE LINES ANYWHERE NEAR OUR HOMES! Not only for the value of properties being jeopardized, but also the safety of our families. We work too hard to enjoy our lives and not subject ourselves to health risks that could be prevented. It is not as if we are purposely looking to do damage to our bodies - this is damage being brought to us, and more importantly, it's preventable.