TrAIL Tower (left) visible from Rte 340
Despite strong opposition from a variety of sources (the Piedmont Environmental Council, actor Robert Duvall, and Congressman Frank Wolf), the TrAIL powerline is currently under construction. The line was allowed to use federal eminent domain authority to bypass local and state oversight. The line is paralleling an existing 500kV line through Virginia.
I observed fast construction progress on the new 765kV line this past fall; however, construction of the line was slowed during the winter snows and has not yet crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains in northern Virginia.
PATH
David Fahrenthold of the Washington Post reports that the application for the new PATH (Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline) has been withdrawn for the time being:
The backers of a proposed electricity-transmission line from West Virginia to Maryland have asked to withdraw their application to run parts of it through Virginia, citing a study that shows its power will not be needed as soon as they had predicted…
See Also: Are Powerlines Green?