Valley Link 765 kV Cost Rises to $5.1B, In-Service Slips to 2031

PJM Interconnection told its Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee on Nov. 3, 2026 that the Valley Link 765 kV projects now cost $5,115 million in 2026 dollars, against $2,995 million in 2024 dollars, with in-service dates pushed from June 1, 2029 to as late as May 31, 2031.

The numbers come from PJM's reliability analysis slides, which cover the three proposals Valley Link Transmission won in the 2024 Window 1 solicitation. The consortium is Dominion Energy, FirstEnergy and Transource. PJM's slides blame construction labor, right-of-way and land costs, and materials priced above the original bid assumptions. The new estimate rests on market studies for land, early contractor involvement on construction, and competitive bidding for materials, according to the slides. Loudoun Now also reported the change for Loudoun County.

The two figures use different dollar years, so the roughly 71% rise mixes inflation with scope and market effects. PJM's footnote adds that the original total included two items worth $5.0 million and $45.6 million that were later re-designated to Dominion or cancelled.

Where the money and the delay sit

The largest single line is the 115-mile Joshua Falls to Yeat 765 kV line in Virginia. Its Dominion section rises from $426.83 million to $1,176.44 million, and the Yeat 765/500 kV substation from $197.10 million to $370.34 million. Both now carry a Jan. 17, 2031 date. The Thornburg 500/230 kV substation moves from $84.41 million to $142.80 million, with service on Jan. 18, 2030.

On the Valley North side, the 175-mile Amos to Welton Spring 765 kV line and the 86-mile Welton Spring to Rocky Point line all take a May 31, 2031 date. The 10.5-mile Millville to Lovettsville section in Loudoun County goes from $52.5 million to $144.31 million, according to PJM. Loudoun Now put the full program at 376 miles and noted that Valley North, at 260 miles, has drawn opposition from Loudoun residents and officials.

Why it matters for data-center load

Loudoun Now describes Valley Link as a build-out meant to meet demand that PJM says the grid needs, and the lines cross northern Loudoun, one of the country's densest data-center counties. For anyone planning a Northern Virginia connection, the practical change is a later date: most Valley North components now target May 31, 2031 rather than June 1, 2029. PJM's slides tie the revised dates to routing analysis, stakeholder and regulatory engagement, and permitting. The slides show project costs, not how they are allocated to ratepayers. For context on the load behind the planning, see Dominion's data-center pipeline, and for another utility's grid spending see AEP's transmission plan.

Earlier selection and what comes next

PJM selected about $3.0 billion of Valley Link projects on Feb. 26, 2025, with a 2029 in-service target, according to FirstEnergy's SEC filings.

Not yet confirmed is whether the $5,115 million total will change again after routing is final, and how it flows into transmission rates. The slides say Valley Link will keep pursuing cost mitigation through more detailed routing, design and competitive construction bidding. A Loudoun open house on the Valley North route is set for Nov. 12 at the Lovettsville Game Protective Association, according to Loudoun Now.