Potomac Edison Files to Rebuild 29 Miles of Virginia 138 kV Line

Potomac Edison, a FirstEnergy subsidiary, filed on Oct. 30 for Virginia State Corporation Commission approval to rebuild about 29 miles of 138 kV transmission line in Frederick, Clarke and Loudoun counties, the company said in a release dated Nov. 2.

The filing covers the Virginia share of the Gore-Doubs-Goose Creek Improvements Project, which PJM Interconnection awarded to Potomac Edison in 2023. Pending approval, construction would start in 2028 and the Virginia portion would enter service in December 2030. Potomac Edison also plans two new 138 kV lines between its existing Stonewall Substation and a proposed Woodside Substation in Frederick County, and says the work sits almost entirely within existing power line routes.

Each state requires a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, a permit confirming that a project is needed and meets statutory tests. The company filed in Maryland in March 2026 and expects to file with the West Virginia Public Service Commission in December. The release gives no cost for the Virginia segment and does not name an SCC case number.

What the 500 kV Addition Changes

The release says the project adds new 500 kV lines to existing routes, which it likens to adding lanes to an existing highway so more power moves at once during extreme heat or cold. FirstEnergy's project fact sheet describes the design as a double-circuit line carrying both 500 kV and 138 kV wires on an existing corridor. Loudoun County's transmission page describes the same proposal as a rebuild of the 138 kV line plus a 500 kV addition along a corridor of about 10.5 miles in northern Loudoun.

FirstEnergy ties the work to growing electricity demand and to PJM's reliability concerns after power plant retirements, but neither the release nor the fact sheet attributes the need to data centers. Voltgrid News found no source that does, so that link remains inference, not fact.

Route, Miles and Timeline

The same fact sheet puts the multi-state upgrade at about 44 miles of right of way from the Gore Substation: 17.9 miles in Frederick County, 0.2 miles in Clarke County, 15.4 miles in Jefferson County, West Virginia, and 10.5 miles in Loudoun County. The three Virginia segments add up to 28.6 miles, which matches the release's figure of about 29 miles. The Maryland portion, covered in a March 31 release, spans about 18 miles in Frederick and Montgomery counties.

The schedule has slipped. The fact sheet planned Virginia and West Virginia filings for fall 2025 and construction to begin in 2027, against an Oct. 30, 2026 filing and a 2028 start now. FirstEnergy puts the project inside its $36 billion capital investment plan, and Voltgrid News reported earlier on AEP's $37B transmission spending.

What Is Not Confirmed Yet

The SCC has not ruled and the release gives no hearing schedule. Cost, the final route within the existing corridor and landowner easements are not stated; the fact sheet says Potomac Edison plans to acquire new rights of way for the Stonewall-Woodside lines. The Maryland and West Virginia approvals are separate, and the Woodside Substation is a NextEra Energy Transmission responsibility under a separate PJM award, per the fact sheet. Dominion has its own Virginia case, PUR-2026-00076, for the Line 514 corridor between the Potomac River and Goose Creek, according to Loudoun County.