What is a substation?

A substation is a facility that changes voltage from high to low or from low to high, among other important functions. When electric transmission lines enter a substation, the voltage is lowered using transformers. The lower voltage electricity is delivered to customers using electric distribution lines.

Why is this project necessary?

There are three primary drivers for this project.

• Aging Infrastructure - Much of the equipment inside the substation is approaching the end of its service life and needs to be replaced to help maintain electric reliability.
• Load growth – Additional infrastructure is required in order to continue serving the present load and meet the network reliability criteria and prepare for anticipated load growth in the area.
• Safety Regulations - The substation needs physical improvements for safety and reliability of service. An increase in space will allow us to maneuver inside the substation to access our equipment in a safe and efficient manner.

Why is a rezoning application necessary?

We submitted an application to rezone to C-O-2.5 Zoning District so the project can satisfy the Zoning Ordinance’s use and lot size requirements for substations.

There have been several outages in our area lately. Will this project fix the issue?

Part of this project involves building new equipment that will automatically reroute power from another source if equipment inside the substation causes an outage. This will improve reliability in your area; however, outages can still occur if any of the lines outside of the substation that serve your home are damaged.

What is Dominion Energy doing with the expansion?

When we replace the existing equipment in the substation, we will be replacing it with equipment that can support future load growth in the area. Not only will the expansion of the facility allow us to make room for this new equipment and growth, it will improve safety measures inside the substation by allowing us more room to access the equipment.

Can this expansion be located anywhere else? Why this location?

Because of the location of electric transmission and distribution lines entering the substation, we need to perform upgrades at the existing site. Expanding at another site would require additional work that would impact the community, such as building new power lines, equipment and an entirely new building.

I’m concerned about EMF. Will these levels increase as a result of this project?

This project will replace existing equipment inside the substation. We will not be adding any new electric transmission or distribution lines. EMF levels will not increase as a result of this project.

Customers sometimes contact us with concerns about possible health hazards associated with EMFs. Dominion Energy, like other utilities, relies on information from federal, state and international health agencies, which review EMF research and monitor this issue in order to help evaluate potential risks and respond to concerns. Such agencies have not concluded that exposure to EMFs at levels found in our communities poses a health hazard. For more information on this topic, visit www.DominionEnergy.com/EMF.

Will the new site incorporate landscaping?

Part of the visual improvements we plan to make at the substation includes landscaping and green space the community can enjoy.

Who should I contact if I have more questions about this project?

For more information, contact our team by sending an email to powerline@dominionenergy.com or by calling 888-291-0190.