WASHINGTON — The land along Carver Road near Haymarket, Virginia, goes back through generations of the same family.

“My family has been virtually on this property since the 1800s,” said Nathan Grayson, who himself still lives on Carver Road. “Way back in the day my great-great-grandmother Livinia Blackburn Johnson was able to be able to purchase the property.”

But an attempt by Dominion Energy to run high voltage power lines through his property threatened to disrupt that history.

The 230,000 volt lines are needed to help support the burgeoning technology industry in the area, and several proposed routes drew protesters adamant that the lines should be built underground along I-66. It appears Dominion Energy is moving in that direction too now.

On Friday, Dominion Energy told the State Corporation Commission through a legal filing that it’ll be focusing its efforts on building the line along I-66 instead, if permitted.

“I-66 hybrid is the only route that’s going to allow northern Virginia to be left alone,” said Grayson.

Prince William County agreed. According to The Washington Post, the utility cited difficulty in getting all the necessary approvals from the county to make the new line a reality.

“Sounds like extremely good news to me! That’s totally awesome,” said Grayson. “With that much electricity running that close to my household I wouldn’t have been able to stay here I don’t think.”

Below is a map of the area near Carver Road.

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