utilities | FFXnow

Larger water tank approved for Idylwood neighborhood despite concerns

Published October 25, 2024 at 9:00AM

The proposed Poplar Heights water tank (via Fairfax Water)

Poplar Heights is officially getting a new water storage tank with a capacity of 1.25 million gallons, despite continued objections from many residents of the single-family Idylwood neighborhood.

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday (Oct. 22) — with Hunter Mill District Supervisor Walter Alcorn absent — to approve Fairfax Water’s request for a special exception allowing the facility to replace an existing standpipe tank at 7407 Tower Street that can hold 700,000 gallons of water.

News

Fairfax County School Board jumps regulatory hurdles to OK solar panels for nine schools

By James Jarvis

Published July 17, 2024 at 10:30AM | Updated July 18, 2024 at 9:56AM

A solar panel demonstration project outside Luther Jackson Middle School (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

In a bid to cut energy costs by tens of thousands of dollars, the Fairfax County School Board finalized a deal with a local solar developer last month to outfit nine elementary schools across the county with 250-kilowatt (kW) solar panels.

The solar Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) comes years after the school board approved a series of much larger solar projects that were halted after Dominion Energy introduced new interconnection rules that substantially increased project costs, rendering the projects economically unfeasible.

News

Dominion Energy to replace nearly 4-mile electric line from Vienna to Idylwood

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 12, 2024 at 3:30PM

Dominion Energy's transmission line by the Washington & Old Dominion Trail in Vienna (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Work on an overhaul of Dominion Energy’s electric transmission line between Vienna and Idylwood is expected to start next month, the utility says.

The project will replace the wires — known as a reconductor — that run parallel to a 3.9-mile section of the Washington & Old Dominion Trail, connecting the Clark substation at 375 Center Street near Caboose Tavern in Vienna and the Idylwood substation at 7701 Shreve Road.

Countywide

Fairfax County to push for more communication on gas pipeline projects

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 5, 2024 at 2:30PM

A natural gas-powered stove burner (photo via Kwon Junho on Unsplash)

Fairfax County’s leaders agree that natural gas companies need to communicate more with them and the public on major pipeline projects, but they appear divided on how to make that happen.

At a land use committee meeting on May 14, county staff presented the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors with potential options for regulating “high-pressure” pipelines under local streets. The review was specifically prompted by community opposition to a 2-foot-wide pipeline that Washington Gas plans to build through Pimmit Hills.

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Utility undergrounding dropped from Elden Street widening project

By Angela Woolsey

Published June 4, 2024 at 11:30AM

The existing Elden Street and Laurel Way intersection in Herndon (via VDOT)

A long-gestating project to widen East Elden Street will no longer move utilities along the Herndon corridor underground.

The Herndon Town Council approved a resolution on May 28 authorizing the removal of a utility duct bank from the project’s scope after town staff reported that costs had drastically increased from an earlier $57.3 million estimate.

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Lake Anne cooling service to launch ahead of expected heat wave

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 26, 2024 at 1:30PM

Residences along the Chimney House Road side of Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

RELAC Water Cooling will begin delivering air-conditioning services to residents and businesses in Reston’s Lake Anne area this weekend — ahead of its official launch date of May 22.

The volunteer-run utility announced today that it will “go live” tomorrow (Saturday) to test its services, providing chilled water from the artificial lake to cool 635 residential and commercial properties.

News

Reston air-conditioning service to restart, thanks to community donations

By Angela Woolsey

Published April 3, 2024 at 1:30PM

Homes by Lake Anne in Reston (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Reston’s central air-conditioning service is officially returning to keep hundreds of residents and businesses cool this summer.

RELAC Water Cooling announced on Sunday (March 31) that it has received enough community donations to be able to provide chilled water for air-conditioning to roughly 635 residential and commercial properties in the Lake Anne area.

Countywide

Fairfax County questions Dominion over cost of connecting renewable energy to grid

By James Jarvis

Published April 1, 2024 at 1:30PM | Updated July 16, 2024 at 7:58PM

Workers install solar panels on Reston Fire Station 25 (courtesy Fairfax County Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination)

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.

News

Reston Association referendum to repeal central cooling system requirement fails

By Fatimah Waseem

Published March 14, 2024 at 11:00AM

Townhomes in Reston's Waterview cluster are among the Lake Anne residences served by RELAC (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

The air-conditioning system that has long served many homes in Reston’s Lake Anne area will still be required for 343 homes after a referendum failed to pass.

Only 165 of the 343 residents who received a ballot from Reston Association voted to revoke a provision of RA’s covenants that required those living within specific residential clusters to use the Reston Lake Anne Air-Conditioning Corporation’s (RELAC) cooling services.

News

Referendum vote to remove AC mandate for Lake Anne area homes set for March

By Fatimah Waseem

Published January 31, 2024 at 11:00AM

Townhomes in Reston's Waterview cluster are among the Lake Anne residences served by RELAC (staff photo by Angela Woolsey)

Over 600 Lake Anne area residents served by the now-defunct Reston Lake Anne Air-conditioning Corporation (RELAC) may soon be responsible for installing their own air-conditioning units.

After historically requiring certain residences to utilize RELAC, Reston Association’s Board of Directors will hold a referendum vote next month to change its restrictive covenant to accommodate other cooling services and options.