By Sophia Clifton

Nearly everyone who spoke during a July 15 Loudoun County Board of Supervisors public hearing agreed on one point: the proposed Golden Substation is needed to keep electricity flowing across one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions. Where opinions differed was whether Dominion Energy had done enough to ensure the massive electrical facility would complement one of Loudoun County’s most visible gateways.

After nearly an hour of presentations, public testimony and Board discussion, supervisors voted 7-1-1 to postpone action until Sept. 1, giving Dominion additional time to explore whether additional architectural and landscaping improvements can be made before construction begins.

The proposed Golden Substation would occupy nearly 16 acres east of Pacific Boulevard, west of Route 28 and immediately north of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. Dominion is seeking a commission permit and several special exceptions to construct a 500-kilovolt gas-insulated substation that would become a key component of the company’s Loudoun Reliability Loop, strengthening electric service throughout Loudoun County and Northern Virginia.

County planning staff recommended approval, concluding that the primary issue before supervisors was not whether the substation was needed, but whether its screening and landscaping were sufficient for such a prominent location.

Dominion, however, urged the Board not to lose sight of what company officials described as an increasingly strained electrical grid.

“As you’ve heard me say before, a vote to approve this substation is a vote for reliability—for Loudoun County, for Northern Virginia, and the entire Commonwealth,” a Dominion representative said.

Company officials warned that rapid residential growth, expanding businesses and Northern Virginia’s data center industry are placing unprecedented demands on the transmission system.

“The grid is under stress,” the representative said. “The strain on grid assets is increasing, operating margins are getting narrower, and more emergency actions are required during periods of high demand or unexpected equipment issues.”

Dominion argued that expanding the transmission network is no longer optional.

“Transmission is foundational, not elective,” the representative said.

The company noted that the Virginia State Corporation Commission has already determined the project is needed and approved a June 2028 in-service date. Dominion also said permitting delays have already pushed construction six to 12 months behind schedule and cautioned that additional delays increase operational risk. During recent periods of extreme summer demand, company officials said crews narrowly avoided widespread disruptions, telling supervisors, “We are riding in the margins.”

Public testimony reflected broad agreement that the substation is necessary, even among speakers urging Dominion to continue improving its appearance.

Speaking on behalf of the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce, Government Relations Manager Clement Lupton called the Golden Substation “a critical connection” in Dominion’s Loudoun Reliability Loop, warning that as Loudoun continues adding homes, businesses and data centers, dependable electricity will only become more important.

“Further delay only postpones a need that isn’t going away,” Lupton said.

Several residents echoed that message while encouraging Dominion to make the project a better neighbor.

Electrical engineer Ganesh Subramaniam, a Loudoun resident since 1997, said he understands concerns about the project’s appearance but believes reliable electric service must remain the priority.

“With all the data centers that we have … it’s highly essential that we look into this and make sure that this goes as a successful project so that we do not run into any of the outages,” he said.

Loudoun Valley Estates Homeowners Association President Victor Block, who participated in the stakeholder working group, praised Dominion for making design improvements through months of collaboration but urged supervisors to continue pressing for refinements.

“We’re not denying the need,” Block said. “We have never asked to deny the substation.”

Instead, he encouraged the Board to use the additional time to pursue a design that better fits one of Loudoun County’s most visible corridors.

When supervisors began deliberating, no one questioned whether the Golden Substation is needed. Instead, the discussion centered on whether Dominion had done enough to minimize the visual impact of a facility that will stand along one of Loudoun County’s busiest transportation corridors.

Supervisor Koran Saines (D-Sterling), whose district includes the project, emphasized that his concerns were not about the need for the substation but about its appearance.

“I feel there still is some work to be done,” Saines said. “I think we can do some more work to help with the visualization, because this is … a high-traffic area from Route 28, and then definitely the stretch of the W&OD Trail.”

Saines said thousands of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians will see the substation every day and questioned whether additional architectural treatments and screening could better integrate the facility into the surrounding landscape. While acknowledging the importance of electric reliability, he argued Dominion also has a responsibility to deliver a project that reflects the community’s expectations.

Dominion responded that the current design already incorporates months of collaboration with county staff, residents and the Board-created stakeholder working group. Company officials said substantial redesigns at this stage could delay construction even further, noting that portions of the project have already entered final engineering.

Supervisor Matthew Letourneau (R-Dulles) agreed that the stakeholder process had produced meaningful improvements and questioned whether another six weeks would result in significant additional changes.

“Frankly, from what I see, this is the best-looking substation I’ve ever seen,” Letourneau said.

While acknowledging Saines’ concerns, he cautioned against delaying a project the State Corporation Commission has already determined is critical to regional electric reliability.

“If I understand what Supervisor Saines is trying to do,” Letourneau said, “I would argue that we are sacrificing the good for the perfect.”

He added that, based on weeks of stakeholder meetings, he no longer believed additional delay would produce meaningful design improvements.

Board Chair Phyllis Randall (D-At Large), however, concluded that one final opportunity for refinement was worthwhile.

“I will vote for this,” Randall said of the project itself. “But if past is prologue, the time we’ve taken in the past on a reliability substation yielded a better product.”

Randall praised Dominion for working with residents and acknowledged that previous discussions had already resulted in a stronger proposal. She also credited Saines’ persistence in seeking additional improvements, saying she had come to appreciate his willingness to continue pressing applicants on behalf of constituents.

Although Randall said she expected to ultimately support the Golden Substation, she concluded that another six weeks could provide one last opportunity to further improve the design before construction begins.

Following a friendly amendment from Supervisor Caleb Kershner (R-Catoctin), the Board voted 7-1-1 to defer both the commission permit and special exception applications until its Sept. 1 business meeting. Supervisor Sylvia Glass (D-Broad Run) was away from the dais for the vote, while Vice Chair Michael Turner (D-Ashburn) cast the lone vote against postponement.

Before the vote, Saines emphasized that he was not asking Dominion to redesign or relocate the project, but to continue improving its appearance.

“We’ve sent one, two, three, four, five, six, now seven real-life cases where substations look way better than what we’re producing here,” Saines said. “So it can be done.”

The Board will revisit the proposal Sept. 1, when Dominion is expected to return with any additional design refinements developed during the six-week postponement.