More than 3,600 Dominion customers in North Arlington are without power this afternoon.
Yorktown High School and Williamsburg Middle School were reported to be among the buildings that lost power. Traffic signals were reported to be dark at the intersection of Old Dominion Drive and 26th Street N.
With the help of some interesting visuals, environmental activists will be calling for policies that support cleaner air in Virginia. Specifically, the Sierra Club is asking for public hearings regarding Dominion Virginia Power’s long-term energy plan. They’re also asking for the State Corporation Commission to approve Dominion’s plan to retire two coal-fired power plants in Virginia.
To help put an exclamation point on their message, demonstrators will be bringing along “a 6-foot cardboard asthma inhaler… 6-foot tall mock wind turbines…. pinwheels symbolizing desire for wind energy… and posters and signs calling for a transition from dirty coal to clean energy.” In addition, rally bystanders will be encouraged to place phone calls to the State Corporation Commission requesting public hearings about Dominion.
At its peak, immediately after Hurricane Irene left the area yesterday morning, more than 14,000 Dominion customers were in the dark in Arlington.
“Arlington, Alexandria and Springfield experienced some significant damage,” said Dominion spokeswoman Le-Ha Anderson. “Due to that, we know that it will be Tuesday night before all of those customers are restored.”
The closure is due to power lines that were knocked down by a tractor trailer, according to police spokeswoman Det. Crystal Nosal. Dominion is on the scene and expects to have the lines repaired by 10:30 a.m. More than 150 Dominion customers are without power in the area due to the downed lines.
Eastbound Lee Highway traffic is being diverted onto southbound George Mason Drive. Cars are not being allowed to turn left at the intersection, to ensure that traffic moves smoothly through the area.
Few details about the event were revealed ahead of time, but with the announcement featuring remarks by County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman and local lawmaker Del. Patrick Hope, one could reasonably assume that the bulk of the new event was to take place in Arlington, right?
Wrong.
The construction cone slalom on Columbia Pike has converged into one relatively narrow, pock-marked chute of two-way traffic.
On one side of the Pike, two lanes are blocked by much-needed repaving work. On the other side, next to the still under-construction Penrose Square development, one lane is blocked by Dominion trucks that are preparing to replace an underground transformer that apparently blew this morning (a tipster reports hearing a large bang and seeing a flash in the area around 9:30 a.m.).
The bill in the House of Delegates, HB 2191, was sponsored by Arlington’s Del. Adam Ebbin (D). It passed on Monday.
The bill in the state Senate, SB 975, was sponsored by Arlington’s Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple (D). It passed on Friday.
The energy company announced $2 million in donations yesterday to help the homeless and aid families in need.
Arlington affordable housing outfit AHC, Inc. and at-risk women’s shelter Doorways for Women and Families both accepted the donations at a press conference in Reston.
The maintenance comes just under three weeks after a strong storm felled trees and knocked out power to homes in the area, near Virginia Hospital Center.
The power will be shut off from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Dominion said in a letter to affected residents. The work is being performed “near the primary line that feeds [the] neighborhood,” according to the letter.
Dominion is holding a public meeting from 5:00 to 8:00 tonight to discuss a major project that will run a new underground transmission line from Pentagon City to Clarendon.
The meeting will be held at the Lyon Park Community Center (414 North Fillmore Street).
To help meet demand, Dominion is planning a major project to run a 3.7 mile underground transmission line from Pentagon City to the power substation at 3245 Wilson Boulevard in Clarendon. The project also proposes to construct a new Radnor Heights power substation on the grounds of Ft. Myer.
The project “will support growth in Arlington County,” says Dominion spokesperson Le-Ha Anderson. But progress will come at a cost — burying the line will be an intensive 18 month process that will result in open-cut trenching and street closures along the proposed route.
Board Considering Restoration of Library Hours — The county board will consider restoring library hours in next year’s budget, members said at Saturday’s monthly meeting. However, the board also said there was not enough money in the current budget to restore hours this year. Library hours were reduced as a result of cuts in the 2010-2011 budget. More from the Sun Gazette.
New Power Transmission Line Proposed — Dominion wants to run a new underground power transmission line from the Clarendon area to the Pentagon City area. The project, set to begin early next year and wrap up by the middle of 2012, would also result in the construction of a new power substation in Radnor Heights. More from the Ode Street Tribune.
