The Cumberland County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a substation that would be used by the Cobbs Creek Reservoir and by Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) customers after a public hearing Tuesday.

“Central Virginia Electric Cooperative (CVEC) has applied to build a 115-(kilovolts) KV transmission tap line that would be around 2,100 feet long, and lie within a 100 foot easement provided by Henrico County,” the board packet for a past commission meeting cited. “They are also proposing to construct an electric substation on a 110’ by 150’ (foot) site owned by Henrico County. The substation would serve the Cobbs Creek Reservoir pump station as well as 475 customers of CVEC.”

A memorandum of understanding between Cumberland County and Henrico County was agreed to in 2010 for the Cobbs Creek Reservoir, and Henrico began the first phase of building its reservoir in 2015.

The reservoir, located on the northern end of Cumberland County, is estimated to cost $280 million and expand 1,117-acres, encompassing a little more than 15 miles of stream bed, according to a Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) permit. It will permanently impact 15.3 miles of stream, almost 31 acres of wetlands and 4.6 acres of open water.

The reservoir would collect water from the James River.

The application cited that the substation will be unmanned, but will have monthly inspections. The substation is expected to be located at 1617 Columbia Road on an approximately 5-acre parcel and would keep the property’s current zoning at Agricultural-2, but have a conditional use permit.

“CVEC personnel will be on-site for maintenance activities as needed,” the application cited.

“The transmission line will consist of steel monopoles ranging in height above ground between 88’ and 102’ (feet),” the application cited. “The substation will consist of various steel structures with the tallest structure 73’ above ground.”

Planning and Zoning Director J.P. Duncan said the substation would power the reservoir gates.

Jeremy Watson, automation and control engineer with CVEC, said in a presentation Tuesday that CVEC has an older delivery point it uses near the edge of Fluvanna County that serves in a distribution role to Dominion Energy.

“That’s not the most reliable delivery point that we have,” Watson said. “So moving this substation into a transmission delivery point will now increase the reliability of that also. So with this, not only will we be able to provide the substation, but we hope to provide the citizens of Cumberland County also with more reliable power.”

Pat Hilliard and Rose McClinton spoke during the public hearing. Hilliard, who lives in District 1, asked whether the cost of electricity in the area would increase as a result of the substation.

Hilliard asked if her electricity would come from Henrico, and if the cost of electricity increased as a result.

Hilliard also asked how long residents could potentially wait in the event of a power outage for electricity to be restored.

She said recently, particularly on Saturdays and Sundays, the electricity at her home will go out for four or five hours at a time.

“In the transition over, will we have lapses of power like that until this is completed?” Hilliard said.

Hilliard also asked whether all Cumberland residents serviced by CVEC would use the substation.

McClinton said she shared Hilliard’s questions about the substation.

Hilliard and District One Supervisor Bill Osl also asked if CVEC clients would receive electricity from Henrico as opposed to Central Virginia.

Watson said the substation will sit on property purchased by Henrico County.

“They deeded us an easement for the substation to sit on,” Watson said. “Your power will still come from Central Virginia Electric. Henrico really had nothing to do with the power that you buy, what you pay on your electric bill.”

He said a power point for CVEC is located in the area of the reservoir and a transmission line from Dominion Energy.

He said anything that uses electricity below the power point would come from the CVEC’s Cartersville station, and anything that uses electricity above the power point would come from the metering point in Columbia, which would move into the substation.

“Whatever is currently being fed out of the Columbia metering point in Cumberland County will transition into this new station,” Watson said. “What’s being fed out of the Cartersville station won’t have any effect.”

He said in the event that the substation had to be taken down, he said they could transfer power out of Cartersville.

Hilliard asked if this means some residents would not receive the power from the substation. Watson confirmed that this was correct.

“Our lines are strategically placed by engineering analysis and designed to serve the customers as they come by,” Watson said.

Regarding the transition to the new substation, Watson said “the transition should be seamless to the members of CVEC.” He noted that there may be a quick transition period.

Osl asked if this would change who in the county would be served by CVEC. Watson said existing clients will still be served by CVEC.

Watson said concerning that power outages that CVEC employers work to restore outages once they are reported.

“We’ve had major outages in that area, but I’m not aware of every outage that happens in our system, either,” Watson said.

He said he expects customers to receive more reliable source for electricity following the substation being built.

Regarding potential billing increase, Watson said the billing rates would be determined by the state.

“Bettering the station doesn’t really have an effect on a direct billing,” Watson said. “If the state corporation, if we were to go to try to raise rates, that’s something that’s totally separate from this substation being constructed.”