Today’s PJM Planning Documents Reveal New Name for Yeat: “Culpeper Yeat”
- MikeBVL
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
Congratulations to the residents of Culpeper County, especially those in Richardsville, for doing the hard work of coming together, getting informed, and clearly expressing your concerns to the Culpeper Board of Supervisors.
Well done to the Board as well. Given the complexity of the issues before you, your 6–1 vote opposing the ValleyLink Project and specifically the proposed Yeat “super” substation in Culpeper County reflects a strong commitment to representing your constituents.
We are hearing that action taken in Fauquier County may have influenced Dominion’s decision to move the Yeat substation out of its originally proposed location. From the previous article, we know this must have occurred sometime after the January 21, 2026, Fauquier Planning Commission work session. We are currently reviewing all relevant Fauquier Planning Commission and Board of Supervisors meetings to determine exactly when and how that shift occurred.
More importantly, we are looking into whether there was an on-the-record meeting or vote opposing a substation that had not yet reached the application stage, at a time when Fauquier County Planning did not appear to be familiar with the project — as evidenced by the video referenced in the last article.
More to follow as we continue to shed light on the process in Fauquier and across the broader project. Sunshine matters, and we intend to keep bringing it.
What we do know is this: Dominion/ValleyLink has already shifted the project once in response to county-level opposition. That makes the timeline even more important. Planning and outreach efforts in Culpeper appear to have begun as early as August 2025. Interestingly, it appears Dominion did not attend today’s Culpeper BOS meeting, possibly due to the previously scheduled April 7, 2026, PJM Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee (TEAC) meeting.
The pertinent slides from the TEAC meeting are included here:
Dominion is now referring to the proposed Yeat substation as “Culpeper Yeat.” The materials also show a reduction of some of the additional 765 kV lines into this substation…for now. Given the Culpeper Board of Supervisors’ 6–1 vote opposing the project, it would be appropriate for Dominion to attend the next County Board meeting to clearly communicate its intentions and answer questions from the community. The substation move and line changes will require a scope change intended to be approved by the PJM Board by July 2026.
This underscores why community engagement is critical, not just at the county level, but within the PJM planning process itself. PJM is required to consider public input, and communities must make their voices heard regarding the scale and impact of these proposals, including the construction of 765 kV transmission lines across Central Virginia. Be prepared to send your written comments to the Board. We will have subsequent articles explaining that process.
This is not the end of the conversation, it is the beginning.
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