Planning commission recommends Cumberland Energy Center CUP despite heavy public opposition

The Cumberland County Planning Commission on Aug. 31 recommended that the Board of Supervisors approve a conditional use permit for the proposed Cumberland Energy Center, a dual‑fuel combined‑cycle power station proposed by Dominion Energy Virginia.

The commission also found the project to be in "substantial accord" with the county’s comprehensive plan and moved the recommendation with staff‑recommended conditions. The recommendation passed on a recorded vote with five members in favor and one opposed. Commissioner Steve Donahue cast the lone recorded no vote during the final CUP recommendation.

Planning Director and zoning administrator Stephanie Johnson told the commission the application (CUP 26‑03) covers multiple parcels totaling 972.58 acres, with an anticipated developed footprint of about 140 acres and up to 55 acres for transmission connections. Johnson described staff‑drafted conditions addressing lighting, setbacks, buffers, noise limits, erosion control, traffic management, emergency response training and decommissioning planning.

Rafi Raza Jaffrey, speaking for the applicant, summarized what Dominion called the project's benefits and timeline and framed the plant as a reliability resource. "This power station is going to be able to support our customer base," he said.

Public comment stretched for more than three hours. Dozens of residents urged denial or a pause to allow more study, raising local concerns about water use, noise, human health risks, property values and the possibility that the plant would enable future data‑center development. Advocates including the Southern Environmental Law Center argued the proposal is not consistent with core elements of the comprehensive plan and should go through a formal amendment process.

Commissioner Richard Donahue, who requested amendments and additional guarantees, said he could not recommend approval without clearer decommissioning guarantees, explicit compliance language requiring adherence to all local, state and federal laws, and stronger mitigation commitments to neighbors. He nonetheless moved a set of additional conditions and asked that they be incorporated before final action by the Board of Supervisors.

With the commission’s recommendation, the next formal decision rests with the Board of Supervisors; the timeline for that hearing was not specified at the meeting.