To the editor,
The Valley Link Transmission Project if completed as it is currently proposed will be a detriment to many of our members’ homes, farms, and livelihoods. That is why your board has taken a stance to oppose the transmission project and sent a formal letter to the State Corporation Commission stating this. We put together this letter with survey data from our producer members along with input from members on the board, many of whom are directly affected by the current route proposed. We are joined in our opposition to this project by many other County Farm Bureau Boards, our own Board of Supervisors, and a growing coalition of citizens across central Virginia. We believe with continued strong opposition ahead of the SCC application this fall the project can be stopped. We appreciated all of the input and testimony given by members and will continue to bring information and support to all of our members. Please see the full contents of our letter sent to the State Corporation Commission below:
Dear Commissioners:
On behalf of the Orange County Farm Bureau, we respectfully submit this letter in strong opposition to the proposed Valley Link Transmission Line Project (“Project”). Our organization represents the farmers and agricultural producers who sustain Orange County’s rural economy and working landscapes. The Project poses significant and lasting harm to these interests.
Impacts to Agricultural Lands
The proposed transmission line would permanently fragment productive farmland, interfere with modern agricultural operations, and reduce land value and long-term viability. In a county where agriculture is foundational, these impacts are substantial and irreversible.
Loss of Farm Viability and Continuity
The disruption of multi-generational farms threatens the continuity of agricultural use and the stability of the rural economy, with long-term consequences for Orange County’s agricultural base. Agriculture contributes tens of millions of dollars annually to Orange County’s economy—estimated at over $35 million in direct farm production alone—and supports a broader network of agribusiness activity that would be directly impacted by the fragmentation of working farmland.
Disproportionate Burden on Rural Communities
The Project places a disproportionate burden on rural landowners while providing no direct local benefit. Orange County farmers are being asked to bear these impacts for infrastructure primarily serving external demand.
Inconsistency with the Orange County Comprehensive Plan
The Project conflicts with the County’s Comprehensive Plan, which prioritizes preservation of agricultural lands and rural character. Industrial-scale transmission infrastructure in designated agricultural areas is incompatible with these policies.
Historical and Cultural Resource Impacts
Orange County is home to nationally significant historic landscapes, including Civil War battlefields, historic farms, churches, cemeteries, family grave sites, and archaeological resources that tell the story of Virginia’s agricultural and military heritage. Construction of a major transmission corridor through these areas risks permanently altering historic viewsheds, disturbing archaeological resources, and diminishing the character of landscapes that have remained largely intact for generations.
The Commission should carefully consider these impacts and require that the protection of historic and cultural resources be given the same weight as engineering and economic considerations. Once these resources are disturbed or their setting is permanently altered, the loss cannot be reversed.
Eminent Domain Concerns
The potential use of eminent domain to acquire farmland is particularly troubling given the lack of clear, localized public benefit.
Failure to Consider Less Harmful Alternatives
The Project fails to sufficiently evaluate less damaging alternatives, including routing, co-location, and other measures to minimize impacts to working farms.
Conclusion
For these reasons, the Orange County Farm Bureau respectfully urges the Commission to deny approval of the Valley Link Transmission Line Project. The long-term loss of productive farmland, the disruption of Virginia’s agricultural economy, and the irreversible impacts to Orange County’s historic and cultural resources outweigh the Project’s asserted benefits, particularly where those benefits are not shared by the communities most directly affected.
Thank you for your consideration.
Wesley Roberts
President
Orange County Farm Bureau
