The Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) is seeking public input on several projects vying for inclusion in its six-year funding program.
The biggest request by far comes from Fairfax County, which applied for $587.2 million to fund four major projects — more than the other eight localities participating in the fiscal year 2024-2029 Six-Year Program combined.
“With funding requests totaling nearly $1 billion, the projects cover various transportation modes including transit, rail, roadway enhancements, technology, bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, and intersection/interchange improvements,” the NVTA said in a press release.
Leading the way among Fairfax County’s requests is a multimodal improvements project that would expand about one mile of Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) between the Capital Beltway (I-495) and I-66 in the Pimmit Hills area.
Adding one lane in each direction, the project is intended to make room for the planned Route 7 bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which will initially travel between the Spring Hill Metro station in Tysons and the West Falls Church Metro station. Ultimately, regional and local officials hope to extend the service down to the Mark Center in Alexandria.
In the Pimmit Hills portion of Route 7, the buses will travel in dedicated lanes in the median. Shared-use paths on both sides of the road and improvements at five signalized intersections would also be implemented, according to NVTA’s description of the project.
“The separation of vehicular traffic and the installation of shared use paths will create a safer environment that is accessible to all users,” NVTA says. “The future implementation of BRT will enhance regional sustainability by reducing congestion and getting more people out of automobiles.”
The county is seeking $210 million in regional funding from NVTA for the project, which carries a total estimated cost of $244.4 million.
Other projects submitted by Fairfax County include:
- Frontier Drive Extension (nearly $165 million requested): The road would be extended from the Franconia-Springfield Metro station to Loisdale Road, accompanied by new, separated pedestrian and bicycle facilities.
- Seven Corners Ring Road ($122 million): The first segment of the planned road would add “travel lanes, a bi-directional cycletrack, and parking lanes” from the westbound Arlington Blvd (Route 50) ramp to Leesburg Pike (Route 7).
- Braddock Road Multimodal Improvements ($90 million): The second phase of the project calls for shared-use paths, High-Intensity Activated crosswalk beacons, trail connections and other intersection improvements from Humphries Drive to Southampton Drive near Kings Park.
In addition, the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) has asked for $6.1 million to upgrade its Backlick Road station (6900 Hechinger Drive) in Springfield, including by building a longer, 300-foot platform that can fit eight-car trains.
Updated every two years, NVTA’s six-year programs are supported by sales and grantors’ taxes, the state’s Northern Virginia Transportation District Fund and the Interstate Operations and Enhancement Program. The authority is required to devote 70% of its revenue to regional projects, while the remaining 30% goes directly to its localities.
Public comments on the FY 2024-2029 program are being accepted online, by phone (703-947-7606) and by mail until 11:59 p.m. on May 19. A public hearing will be held at NVTA’s offices (2600 Park Tower Drive, Suite 601, Vienna) at 7 p.m. on May 9.
National Poetry Month has arrived, bringing a new slate of free poetry readings and other events at Fairfax County parks.
For the final year of her tenure, Fairfax County Poet Laureate Danielle Badra has organized a second “Poetry in the Parks” initiative, inviting community members to experience linguistic and natural beauty at the same time.
Announced Monday (April 1) by ArtsFairfax, the series will kick off on April 27 with a “National Poetry Month Reading” at Green Spring Gardens (4603 Green Spring Road) in Lincolnia. D.C. area writers Camisha L. Jones, Emilia Philips, Benjamin Renne and Marcielo Shirley will participate in the reading, which is scheduled for 1-2:30 p.m.
Subsequent months will see the returns of a “Pride Month Poetry Reading” and two “Poetry Beneath the Stars” events, which were both included in last year’s inaugural “Poetry in the Parks” series.
Brought back “by popular demand,” the “Poetry Beneath the Stars” writing workshops will be held on May 4 and Aug. 17 from 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Turner Farm Park (925 Springvale Road) in Great Falls. Attendees will craft verse about the cosmos while viewing it through telescopes in the park’s Roll Top Observatory.
This year’s Pride Month poetry reading will bring Badra, Gowri Koneswaran, Brian Teare and other LGBTQ+ poets together on June 1 from 1-2:30 p.m. to highlight the role of poetry in the queer community. The event has shifted to Green Spring Garden after previously being hosted by Ellanor C. Lawrence Park in Chantilly.
“Poetry in the Parks brings together nature lovers and poetry lovers in an incredible way,” Badra said in a press release. “Last year, we had professional stargazers with a newfound admiration for poetry, and poets who were first-time visitors to a featured park creating outstanding verses. It was such a beautiful melding of worlds, which is ultimately the goal of each Poetry in the Parks event.”
The three “Poetry in the Parks” events in 2023 were attended by more than 120 people, according to ArtsFairfax, which partnered with Badra and the Fairfax County Park Authority for the program.
As part of the 2024 series, Badra will also unveil new permanent plaques with poems about nature at Ellanor C. Lawrence Park and Riverbend Park in Great Falls.
“As a long-term expression of Poetry in the Parks, the plaques will invite park visitors to reflect on their environment, with the additional opportunity to submit a poetic or artistic response to the plaque through a link on the ArtsFairfax website,” ArtsFairfax says. “Selected submissions will be featured in a digital collection.”
Appointed in November 2022, Badra became Fairfax County’s second poet laureate, following in the footsteps of “How to Prove a Theory” author and Northern Virginia Community College professor Nicole Tong. ArtsFairfax created the two-year position in 2020 as a way to promote poetry in the community.
The search for Badra’s successor will begin when applications open on April 15. ArtsFairfax will hold a virtual information session to discuss the poet laureate program from noon to 1:30 p.m. on April 23.
Republicans Propose Renaming Dulles Airport After Trump — “Several Republican members of Congress introduced a bill to rename Washington Dulles International Airport for former President Trump. HR 7845, which is apparently a real thing, would make Dulles the second DC-area airport named for a President who was broadly unpopular in the region.” [Washingtonian]
Aspiring Casino Developer Denies Arena Interference — “Comstock CEO Chris Clemente told AP the idea of pairing the casino with the arena had been bandied about by lawmakers of both parties. He rejected the notion that there was any kind of coordinated attempt to hold off the initial arena deal in favor of an arena-casino pairing.” [Associated Press]
Yellow Diner Now Open in Vienna — “The long-awaited Yellow Diner in Vienna open[ed] Monday, bringing American classics and old-school diner food to an eager clientele. Created by the Pagonis family, owners of the renowned Tysons-area Greek restaurant Nostos…the cheerful, 94-seat diner offers a modern take on classic diner cuisine, as well as a full bar.” [Northern Virginia Magazine]
County Police Auditor Releases Annual Report — “Fairfax County police mostly were vindicated in the independent police auditor’s recent review of seven incidents between 2017 and 2020 in which officers pointed firearms at people, but an officer violated policy in one case and others failed significantly in another.” [Gazette Leader]
Tysons Salon Extends Stay — “Sola Salons Studios, a premier provider of salon studios, secured a lease renewal and extension at 8607 Westwood Center, Suite 100 in Tysons Corner, Virginia. The approximately 3,900 square feet space will continue to serve as a hub for Sola Salons Studios’ operations in the region.” [CityBiz]
Early Female FCPD Officer Dies — “With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of one of our first female officers, Karen Blackmon. Karen embarked on her journey with our department on January 31, 1972. With unwavering commitment, Karen served with distinction. Our thoughts & prayers are with her family & friends.” [FCPD/Twitter]
Lorton HVAC Company Gets New Owner — “United Air Temp, Air Conditioning and Heating, a fast-growing residential HVAC and plumbing company based in Lorton, has been sold to a new private equity owner.” Connecticut-based Littlejohn & Co. LLC says “it will help accelerate United Air Temp’s additional organic growth and M&A activity,” including plans to expand into Georgia. [Washington Business Journal]
It’s Wednesday — Chances of precipitation are 100%. Expect showers and thunderstorms before 4pm, followed by scattered showers and storms, with heavy rain possible. Patchy fog and a high near 59 are anticipated. At night, there is a 50% chance of showers before 2am. Conditions will be mostly cloudy with a low around 41. [NWS]
The Mosaic District will celebrate an unusually long cherry blossom season this weekend with the return of its annual Art Blooms festival.
Organized in partnership with the National Cherry Blossom Festival, the two-day event will bring artisan and farmers’ markets, live entertainment and family-friendly activities to the Merrifield neighborhood from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (April 6-7).
Typically open on Sundays, FreshFarm’s farmers market will also be present at the Mosaic District this Saturday for the Art Blooms festival. More than 50 local produce and food vendors are expected, along with a pumpkin painting area for kids.
An additional 90 vendors selling artwork, clothes and other handmade goods will be on site from URBN Market.
Festival emcee Tommy McFly will kick off the live entertainment around 10:45 a.m. on both days.
Saturday, April 6
- 11 a.m. — Vienna Singing Princesses
- Noon — The Cassaday Concoction
- 2 p.m. — A Mosaic Partners Fashion Show
- 4 p.m. — The Significant Others
Sunday, April 7
- 11 a.m. — Vienna Singing Princesses
- 11:15 a.m. — Tiny Dancers
- 12:30 p.m. — School of Rock
- 4 p.m. — So Fetch
Other attractions will include a games corner, spring-themed selfie stations created by the Merrifield Garden Center and the option to sip cocktails from participating restaurants in the Mosaic District while walking outside.
Complimentary shuttles will be provided from the Dunn Loring Metro station, according to the event page.
The famed Yoshino cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in D.C. reached peak bloom — when 70% of their flowers have opened — on March 17, the second-earliest date on record. But inconsistent weather this spring has kept trees around the D.C. area flowering for much longer than usual, according to the Washington Post.
In addition to attending Art Blooms at Mosaic, those looking to celebrate the extended bloom without leaving Fairfax County can still visit the Children’s Science Center lab in Fair Oaks Mall, where they can make a kite and origami and partake in an educational scavenger hunt. Timed tickets are available for $15.
Though it’s not part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival this time, the Tysons Community Alliance is bringing back its Pedal with Petals Family Bicycle Ride. This year’s event will take place on May 11 during National Bike Month at the Tysons Concourse business park (1593 Spring Hill Road).
Registration for family and advanced bicycle rides is now open. There will also be a food truck, free bike repairs, a DJ and other activities.
Paving and re-striping season has descended upon Fairfax County once again, ushering in a series of public meetings later this month on proposed projects that include bicycle lanes and improved crosswalks.
Hundreds of miles of roadway will be repaved and re-striped by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) as part of the program throughout the state.
“VDOT and the Fairfax County Department of Transportation (FCDOT) use this program as an opportunity to increase driver, bicyclist and pedestrian safety with road and crosswalk improvements while minimizing the financial investment in restriping work,” FCDOT says on its website.
The first meeting kicks off next Monday (April 8) at 7 p.m. for the Franconia and Mount Vernon districts.
In the Franconia District, bicycle lanes on Oakwood Road between Van Dorn Street and Crown Royal Drive are proposed, along with crosswalk improvements at Terrapin Place and at the Crown Royal Drive and Founders Hill Place intersection.
The Mount Vernon District is slated for:
- Bike lanes on Laurel Crest Drive between Silverbrook Road and Douglas Fir Drive
- Bike lanes on Old Mount Vernon Road between Drews Court and Maryland Street
- Crosswalk improvements at Laurel Crest Drive and Paper Birch Drive
The Hunter Mill District’s meeting on April 9 will focus on Center Harbor Road in Reston, where bicycle lanes are proposed between Wiehle Avenue and Reston Parkway, and crosswalk improvements proposed at the Sundial Road intersection.
The Providence District meeting is set for April 10, with bike lanes proposed on Anderson Road between Birdwood Avenue and Magarity Road. A Capital Bikeshare station is also proposed near the intersection of Anderson Road and Dartford Drive.
Meetings for the Braddock, Mason and Springfield Districts are slated for April 11. Braddock is expected to have the following projects:
- Bike lanes on Heming Avenue between Heming Place and Braddock Road
- Crosswalk improvements at Heming Avenue and Hogarth Street
- Crosswalk improvements on Heming Ave at Elgar Street and Axton Street
Springfield is only slated for one road restriping that would add crosswalk improvements on Center Road and Garden Road.
The Sully District has the most proposed changes, which will be discussed at a meeting on April 23 at 7 p.m.:
- Bike lanes on Walney Road between Westfields Boulevard and Westmore Street
- Bike lanes on Field Encampment Road between Golden Oaks Lane and Centrewood Drive
- Crosswalk improvements on Field Encampment Road at Cider Barrel Circle and St. Germain Drive
- Crosswalk improvements at Compton Village Drive and Bradenton Drive
Paving begins in the spring and concludes in November. Exact dates for each project will be available 10 days before work is expected to begin.
Work hours are usually limited to outside of rush hours, although residents can expect work vehicles in their neighborhood during the project.
Links for each web meeting are available on FCDOT’s website, along with dial-in information.
Fairfax County is gearing up for the return of its 10 farmers’ markets this spring, with some locations set to return later this month and others in May.
The 2024 season starts on April 17 with the McCutcheon/Mount Vernon Farmers Market outside the Sherwood Regional Library (2501 Sherwood Hall Lane), the Fairfax County Park Authority announced last week.
Farmers and producers are only allowed to sell what they raise on their farms or make from scratch and come from within a 125-mile radius of Fairfax County, with a few exceptions for hard-to-find products, according to the county website.
“This year, you can expect to find locally grown produce, delicious baked goods, and prepared foods at our farmers markets,” the Fairfax County Park Authority said in a news release. “Additionally, enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities from musical performances, games — and don’t forget to bring your food scraps to support our community composting efforts.”
A list of vendors can be found on each market’s webpage, and SNAP will be accepted at the Mount Vernon, Annandale, Lorton, Reston and Wakefield locations.
Three farmers markets are coming back later in April, all operating from 8 a.m. to noon:
- April 17: McCutcheon/Mount Vernon on Wednesdays
- April 20: Burke at Burke Centre Field (5671 Roberts Parkway) on Saturdays
- April 27: Reston at Lake Anne Plaza (1608 Washington Plaza North) on Saturdays
The seven remaining farmers markets will open in May:
- May 1: Oakton at the recently renamed Oakmont Rec Center (3200 Jermantown Road) on Wednesdays 8 a.m.-noon, Wakefield at the Audrey Moore Rec Center (8100 Braddock Road) in Annandale on Wednesdays 2-6 p.m.
- May 2: Annandale at Mason District Park (6621 Columbia Pike) and Herndon outside the Herndon Municipal Center (765 Lynn Street) on Thursdays 8 a.m.-noon
- May 3: McLean at Lewinsville Park (1659 Chain Bridge Road) on Fridays 8 a.m.-noon, Kingstowne (5844-5862 Kingstowne Center) on Fridays 3-7 p.m.
- May 5: Lorton at Lorton Station Town Center (8994 Potomac Bend) on Sundays 8 a.m.-noon
Compass Coffee has opened in West Falls Church.
The regional coffee shop chain began now serving customers yesterday (Monday) at its newest location in the Shops at West Falls Church (7393 Lee Highway/Route 29). Visitors on that first day included Falls Church City Mayor Letti Hardy and Providence District Supervisor Dalia Palchik.
“[It] was an outstanding opening day with lots of members of the community stopping by the new cafe!” Compass Coffee co-founder and CEO Michael Haft told FFXnow by email. “…Everyone is very excited about the drive thru and central, accessible location.”
The launch comes just a couple of weeks after the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors approved a special exception to allow the cafe, which replaced a BB&T bank. This is the company’s second drive-thru location, joining one in Arlington, and its first shop in the county, though it can also be found in Fairfax City.
Haft says the company is “thrilled to…become a part of the growing West Falls Church neighborhood.”
Haft started the business with fellow Marine Harrison Suarez out of a desire to find the perfect cup of coffee after they were subjected to “terrible” blends during their deployments, according to Compass Coffee’s website.
“We are thrilled to become a part of the growing West Falls Church neighborhood and are excited to expand our commitment to providing exceptional coffee that’s not only delicious, but convenient for everyone,” Haft said. “We look forward to welcoming both new and familiar faces through our doors.”
With the West Falls Church opening, Compass Coffee has expanded to 17 shops since launching in D.C. a decade ago.
In addition to coffee and other hot and cold drinks, the cafe serves breakfast sandwiches and pastries. The West Falls Church location is only the second to also have paninis, including Mediterranean turkey panini and sun-dried tomato mozzarella options that “are already a fan-favorite within the community,” according to Haft.
The 2,552-square-foot building has two drive-thru aisles, one for in-person orders and another for online and mobile pick-ups.
“Whether you’re on your way to work or stopping by for an afternoon pick-me-up, we love being able to provide a quality coffee experience,” Haft said.
A grand opening celebration will be held this Friday (April 5). Details will be shared on Compass Coffee’s Twitter and Instagram pages.
Future Fairfax County sites could be on the horizon. Haft says Compass Coffee is “actively looking” at expansion options in Northern Virginia, though he didn’t share any specific locations.
“[We] are excited to see what the near future brings,” he said.
Vehicle Crashes into Centreville Apartment — “#FCFRD are on the scene of a vehicle into a building in the 13000 Blk of Orchard Dr. Firefighters arrived with one vehicle into a garden-style apartment building. FCFRD TROT is working to stabilize the building. The building investigator is on scene. No reported injuries.” [Fairfax County Fire and Rescue/Twitter]
Art Studio Eyes Reston Location — “An unusual new paint-and-sip style art studio is working on its first location in the state and it will be right here in Northern Virginia. It’s called Hawaii Fluid Art and they have announced the signing of a franchisee to bring a location to Reston. The actual location hasn’t been revealed” and may not have been identified yet. [The Burn]
Mural Planned for Mount Vernon Church — “Public art continues to proliferate along the Richmond Highway Corridor in Fairfax County. The latest building about to get its façade painted is Rising Hope Mission Church on Russell Road. Soon, a nature-themed mural will adorn the side of the church facing Richmond Highway.” Painting will begin this month. [On the MoVe]
Safeway Employee Assaulted with Shopping Cart — Fairfax City police arrested a 31-year-old man last Friday (March 29) after he allegedly threw a shopping cart at a Safeway employee after an argument in the grocery store at 10350 Willard Way. During his arrest, the man “assaulted an officer,” police say. [Fairfax City Police/Twitter]
Singers at Wolf Trap Reflect on Beyoncé Album — “‘Well, happy Beyoncé Day,’ said Roberta Lea to cheers from a sold-out crowd at the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, Va. — coincidentally on the same day that Beyoncé released her new country-themed album, ‘Cowboy Carter.’” Lea and other artists in the Black Opry Revue hope the album will expand the genre to new listeners. [Washington Post]
Reston Company Warns About Robocall Tax Scams — “Transaction Network Services, which regularly analyzes more than 1.5 billion daily call events across hundreds of carrier networks to identify robocall trends, said residents in the D.C. metro have already received nearly 400,000 tax-related robocalls since the start of the year. Some of those calls pretend, convincingly, to be a real person.” [WTOP]
Local Nonprofit to Match Donations — “FACETS, a Fairfax-based social-safety-net provider that helps those affected by poverty, hunger and homelessness in Fairfax County, has launched a new website (www.FacetsCares.org) with a $10,000 match donation challenge. Every donation made through the new site will be doubled up to $10,000.” [Gazette Leader]
It’s Tuesday — Expect showers and potential thunderstorms mainly before 2pm, followed by a chance of storms after 2pm. Patchy fog may occur before 2pm. The high will be around 57, and there’s a 90% chance of precipitation. Night showers and thunderstorms are likely, along with patchy fog, especially after 8pm. The low will be around 50. [NWS]
(Updated at 9:35 a.m. on 4/2/2024) Fresh off this past Saturday’s Easter celebration, Capital One Center in Tysons is gearing up to launch two restaurants and a new edition of Perchfest later this spring.
Stellina Pizzeria and Starr Hill Brewpub are both expected to open in late April, though precise dates haven’t been established yet, according to Capital One Center.
If that timeline holds, Stellina’s opening will come more than two years after it announced plans to expand with a 4,100-square-foot restaurant on the ground floor of Capital One’s headquarters (1610 Capital One Drive). This will be the D.C.-based pizzeria’s fourth location.
Starr Hill Brewpub hasn’t been in the works for quite as long. After opening a biergarten in The Perch in 2021, Starr Hill Brewery shared last year that it will add a 7,572-square-foot, street-level eatery at 7730 Capital One Tower Road. The pub will feature an expanded food menu and two bars with more than 20 beers on tap.
Both restaurants will arrive in time for Perchfest, the celebration that Capital One Center holds every spring and fall at The Perch. The tradition began in September 2021 as a grand opening for the 2.5-acre urban green space on top of Capital One Hall.
Scheduled for May 3 and 4, the spring 2024 Perchfest will have a “retro” theme that organizers hope attendees will support by wearing 1980s and 1990s attire.
“Capital One Center is delighted to host the next celebration of Perchfest…which has become an exceptional rooftop experience for our community and Capital One associates,” Capital One Center Head of Public Affairs Meghan Trossen said. “This will be our sixth Perchfest — and each year the event grows. Our community asked for a throwback theme, and we listened! We can’t wait to host the ultimate retro party for all our 80’s and 90’s kids!”
The proceedings will kick off from 2-6 p.m. on May 3 with a revival of the Perch Putt Open, a charity mini golf tournament first introduced at last September’s festival. Funds will go to Miriam’s Kitchen, a nonprofit dedicated to ending homelessness and the festival’s charity partner.
While the rest of Perchfest is free with a ticket, Capital One Center is encouraging donations. The development has raised over $25,000 for Miriam’s Kitchen, as of last Thursday (March 28), and hopes to reach $30,000.
Other festivities will include a free fitness class, pie-eating contests, a Made in Fairfax pop-up market sponsored by Celebrate Fairfax, a Kentucky Derby-related event at the restaurant Wren, and live music at both Starr Hill Biergarten and Starr Hill Brewpub, which will host “Perchfest After Dark” concerts.
Capital One Park, the baseball stadium across the street at 1820 Dolley Madison Drive, will also be active with three scheduled games between Marymount University and Marywood University from Dunmore, Pennsylvania.
The full festival schedule is below. Read More
Fearing that new interconnection rules from Dominion Energy could derail its carbon reduction targets, the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors has asked Virginia’s utility regulator to step in.
In a near-unanimous vote, supervisors authorized Braddock District Supervisor James Walkinshaw on March 19 to send a letter asking the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to evaluate whether the new regulations create unnecessary hurdles for small renewable energy projects attempting to join the power grid.
Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity was the only abstention.
Dominion maintains that the new regulations are necessary to ensure grid reliability and the safety of field workers, but Fairfax County and other stakeholders statewide remain skeptical, contending that they make renewable energy projects more expensive and less feasible.
“In the Hunter Mill District, I have an elementary school [project] that has been complicated by this requirement,” Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn said. “It’s gonna be coming to the Board of Supervisors here the next couple of months, but this is creating a real impediment to doing what we need to do.”
Cost added for dark fiber lines
Dominion says it updated its interconnection requirements in response to the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act, which increased the capacity limit for non-residential solar developments from 1 to 3 megawatts (MW).
As a result, Virginia experienced a surge in solar, wind and other renewable energy installations that generate over 1 megawatt looking to connect to the power grid. To accommodate more and bigger energy sources, Dominion began requiring smaller energy projects from 250 kilowatts (kW) to 3 MW to install a high-speed fiber optic communication line — known as “dark fiber” or “direct trip transfer” (DTT) — between the project site and the nearest substation in 2022.
Dominion spokesperson Aaron Ruby says dark fiber is “more reliable” than cellular communication, which is prone to receiving mixed or missed signals. This could lead to unnecessary power outages if a solar facility’s power is mistakenly cut off due to a weak signal.
In addition, if there’s an emergency, dark fiber can more reliably signal the power source to turn off, ensuring line workers can fix the problem safely.
“So, this is not an issue of being ‘pro-solar’ or ‘anti-solar,’” Ruby said by email. “It’s simply about having the same basic safety and reliability standards for all solar systems that connect to the grid. The standards for medium-sized systems (i.e., 250 kW-3MW) are the same standards that apply to all of our solar facilities. These standards ensure the reliable operation of the grid and the safety of our line workers when they’re out in the field.”
Ruby noted that Dominion has one of the largest solar fleets in the country, and solar will be “by far the largest source of new power generation in Virginia over the coming decades.”
Yet, Fairfax County officials argue that no other utilities in the region place the entire cost burden of installing dark fiber lines on developers.
“Our staff has gone and looked — we couldn’t find any other utilities in the region that require this level of cost and expense,” Walkinshaw said during the board’s March 19 meeting. “So, are they necessary? Other utilities have determined that they aren’t, and as to who bears the cost, given that there are benefits both to the new interconnection and the owner of that interconnection and everyone else who utilizes the grid…we would not accept that they are all necessary.”
Requirement raises cost of solar projects
The county says roughly one-fourth of its planned solar projects are affected by Dominion’s dark fiber connection requirements. Since the county would be the main user of this energy, it could face an additional $3.5 million in costs from the energy producers, according to the board’s letter.
John Morrill, director of Fairfax County’s Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination, says the new rules threaten eight solar projects in the county’s pipeline, each over 250 kW and collectively totaling about 5 MW.
“Some of these buildings are still in design or construction, so there’s some uncertainty, but looking years into the future, we see a number of substantial solar projects that would be affected by this cost,” he said.
Typically, utilities like Dominion share the costs of system upgrades among their customers. However, in this instance, developers must bear the entire expense of the fiber optic connection.
Though he didn’t directly address the rationale for not distributing the cost of fiber-optic connections, Ruby says Dominion requires the dark fiber connection, and other utilities don’t, because it has “far more medium-sized solar systems” connected to its grid.
Dominion also uses higher-voltage lines than other utilities, which makes it harder for solar systems to “detect faults,” he says.
Morrill acknowledges the safety reasons for needing dark fiber, but he expressed skepticism of Dominion’s reasoning for making developers pay the entire cost of fiber optic connections and asked why less expensive cellular communication lines aren’t considered sufficient.
“Is this fiber optic connection needed for these smaller installations? That might be best answered or evaluated by an independent, third-party, non-utility expert, and then the State Corporation Commission can also weigh in on it,” Morrill told FFXnow. “And then, should that be paid by the customer or by the utility, mindful that Virginia’s policy is to enable widespread use of renewable energy resources?”
SCC reviewing dark fiber rules
Last year, the SCC tasked its staff with forming two working groups of solar industry stakeholders — including Dominion — to examine dark fiber’s necessity, cost sharing and transparency, among other topics.
In their January report to the SCC, stakeholders outlined strategies for managing the costs of linking renewable energy projects to the power grid. Among the suggestions were a tariff-based approach and a project-specific payment system.
In the tariff-based approach, the SCC would introduce a specialized category for renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, where developers would pay a specific rate or tariff that would be determined by the size of their project.
Another approach would have the utility company initially pay for the necessary infrastructure upgrades, then recoup the costs by charging for each project based on its size and the extent of the upgrades.
The report also suggested that the SCC mandate utilities explain why dark fiber is needed for grid connections.
A case concerning Dominion’s rules for connecting to the power grid is currently before the commission. The period for public comments closed on March 22, and the SCC plans to conduct a public hearing soon.
After a hearing, the agency will issue a final decision, potentially introducing new regulations for the utility.
