Our Energy Project Gains Steam

I wanted to take a few minutes to update you on our progress. We’ve been working diligently over the past weeks and months to earn the support of Loudoun County’s Planning Commission. We’ve worked through myriad issues and according to an article in this week’s Leesburg Today, our efforts are moving toward approval.

 

Our plans for a 980-plus megawatt energy plant in Loudoun County taps natural gas resources, utilizes treated effluent that is currently piped into the Potomac River and proposes Virginia’s largest solar array. Once constructed, the plant would generate significant direct annual tax revenue to Loudoun County. This project will be one of the largest infrastructure projects in Virginia and will create significant local economic stimulus to the area as shovels enter the ground during construction. I’ve attended some of the county’s budget input sessions recently, and I know that our project would be a significant economic jolt to the county.

 

We believe this is the right project at the right place at the right time. Loudouners have fought for years against transmission lines that would run coal energy from other regions into Loudoun County. Our plant is uniquely located adjacent to the existing transmission grid between two of Loudoun’s major substations. This means that we won’t have to string lines from our location to meet Loudoun’s needs, and because of that location, we can back-feed the electrical grid and reduce by about 20 percent Loudoun’s needs to import energy. Today, Loudoun imports 100 percent of its energy needs and the state of Virginia is the second* largest net importer of power of all the states in the country.

 

It’s precisely because our proposal makes sense that we’re gaining support from the Loudoun County Planning Commission. We expect that the Commission will make its recommendation to the Board of Supervisors in the coming weeks. And we’re scheduled to have a public hearing with the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors on March 8. Because of the pending decision by the Planning Commission and the subsequent public hearing, I’d ask for you once again to voice your support for our plans to the Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors. You can send your comments to the Planning Commission via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , as well as to the Planning Commission Clerk to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . You can also send your thoughts to the Board of Supervisors at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . 

 

As we move forward in the coming weeks, it’s paramount that our elected leaders hear from you. And it means the world to me personally that we’ve built so much support for our plans. 

 

I hope all is well with you and your family and we’ll be back in touch to share the details of the upcoming public hearing.

 

John Andrews

Managing Partner

Green Energy Partners 

 

* Note that in an earlier version of this post we had indicated Virginia is the third largest net importer of power in the United States. Virginia is actually the second largest net importer of power in the country. We've updated this post for accuracy.