WV Clean and Beautiful

Valley Link — Valley North 765 kV transmission line

Transmission line

A proposed 765-kilovolt transmission line of about 260 miles, running from Putnam County, West Virginia, to Frederick County, Maryland. It includes a new 765 kV facility called Welton Spring in Hardy County. The counties listed here are the 20 West Virginia counties in the project’s study area; no route has been selected yet.

Valley Link says it has since narrowed the study area considerably and expects to identify a preferred route in early 2027. In November 2026 it is holding 12 drop-in open houses to show potential route options; anyone can attend any of them. See the open house schedule.

Valley Link expects to file with the West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia utility regulators in 2027, and is aiming to start construction in 2029 if the project is approved. The West Virginia Public Service Commission has the authority to approve or deny it.

The Barbour County Commission and the Potomac Valley Conservation District, which covers Hardy, Hampshire, Grant, Mineral and Pendleton counties, have passed resolutions opposing the project.

Affected counties

Study area — route not selected

Source for this county list. These counties are shaded on the map.

Key dates

  1. Barbour County Commission adopts a resolution opposing the project
  2. Potomac Valley Conservation District adopts a resolution opposing the project
  3. Public comment deadline
  4. Valley Link updates its project map with narrowed potential route options
  5. 12 drop-in open houses on potential route options
  6. Valley Link expects to identify a preferred route

Local groups working on this

All community groups

Sources

Last checked against sources: October 15, 2026