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Srinivasan, Singh bills on underground power lines advance in Virginia
The pilot would allow underground transmission projects.
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Anushka Pathak - Thu, 19, Feb 2026
- 15:43 EST
- 20
Delegate JJ Singh and Senator Kannan Srinivasan / Courtesy: X
Legislations sponsored by Virginia Senator Kannan Srinivasan and Delegate JJ Singh to test underground transmission lines have cleared the General Assembly’s crossover point, keeping alive a proposal that would give Loudoun County new options for energy infrastructure.
Senate Bill 827, sponsored by Srinivasan, and House Bill 1487, by Singh, authorize pilot projects allowing certain high-voltage transmission lines in the county to be buried underground. They cleared their respective chambers by the Feb. 2026 crossover point, when legislation had to move to the opposite chamber to remain under consideration.
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On Feb. 13, SB 827 passed the Senate 26-12 after receiving approval from the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee. The proposal addressed opposition to Dominion Energy’s planned overhead transmission lines in eastern Loudoun County, including the Golden to Mars project.
The measures established a pilot program permitting the State Corporation Commission to approve up to four qualifying 500-kilovolt transmission line applications for underground construction, in whole or in part, with expedited review. Eligible projects had to be filed before July 1, 2033, and meet specific criteria, including confirmation of technical feasibility and submission of cost projections.
Under the legislation, localities would be required to cover at least 50 percent of the additional cost of undergrounding. Funding could come from levies on utility customers, voter-approved general obligation bonds, or direct allocations. The bills also extended the commission’s reporting deadline on the pilot program from Dec. 1, 2024, to Dec. 1, 2034, and removed certain provisions from the existing undergrounding pilot.
The legislation came amid rising transmission demands tied to data center expansion in Northern Virginia, alongside concerns from residents and local officials about overhead lines near neighborhoods and schools. Srinivasan and Singh reintroduced the measures after an unsuccessful effort the previous year, citing stronger momentum this session.
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