Power Line Undergrounding Bills Win General Assembly Approval
LoudounNow: Srinivasan, Singh Power Line Undergrounding Bills Win General Assembly Approval
By Hanna Pampaloni - March 16, 2026
Bills by Sen. Kannan Srinivasan (D-32) and Del. JJ Singh (D-26) that create a path for the state’s first underground 500-kilovolt transmission lines received approval from the General Assembly on its final day of the 2026 regular session.
SB827 and HB1487 allow for four pilot projects that would bury all or part of 500kV and 230kV transmission line planned to be built within a quarter mile of areas zoned for residential uses.
To qualify for the pilot project the State Corporation Commission must find that an engineering analysis has demonstrated it is technically feasible to bury the line; the application must have estimated regarding projected costs; and the application must have evidence that the locality impacted supports the project’s inclusion in the pilot project and agrees to meet its funding obligation under the bill.