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On Wednesday, March 18, the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors is set to consider the fate of Tenasaka’s proposed 1.5-gigawatt gas-fired power plant.
Tenaska, a Nebraska-based energy company, wants to build the plant as an expansion of its existing facility on Branch Rd. near Scottsville. Tenaska says the plant would generate enough electricity to power about 1.5 million homes and would help ensure reliability of the region’s electric grid.
The Board of Supervisors will consider three matters related to the plant during the meeting. The first is Tenaska’s appeal of the Fluvanna County Planning Commission’s decision in January that the $2 billion power plant is not in accord with the county’s comprehensive plan for its future. The Board has to decide on the appeal by the end of that day, said Dan Whitten, Fluvanna County Attorney.
If the Board decides not to grant the appeal, it will be the end of the plant, Board of Supervisors member Mike Goad told Charlottesville Tomorrow.
From February: Tenaska files appeal after Fluvanna Planning Commission votes down gas plant proposal, citing incompatibility with comprehensive plan
If it grants the appeal, there would be two more Tenaska-related matters under consideration: two public hearings and votes on whether the county should grant Tenaska a special use permit and amend a county ordinance to allow the construction of taller smokestacks. Tenaska says taller smokestacks are necessary in order to meet the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality’s air modeling standards and allow for emissions to be distributed over a wider distance instead of concentrating around the plant.
Have your say on the proposed Tenaska power plant in Fluvanna County
Attend or tune in to the Fluvanna Board of Supervisors meeting where they are considering the fate of a proposed Tenaska gas-powered plant in the county.
The meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 18, at 6 p.m. at Fluvanna County High School Auditorium, 1918 Thomas Jefferson Pkwy., Palmyra. The public hearings will start no sooner than 7 p.m.
Community members can also watch the meeting online here.
There will be four sections allowing for public comments during the meeting. The two public hearing sections are each limited to 90 minutes, as is the first public comment section. The second public comment section is limited to 30 minutes. Anyone who wants to speak should sign up no later than 7:15 p.m. on the day of the meeting.
To learn more about the meeting and the rules for the public hearing and comment sections, see Fluvanna County’s website. You can also read the 708-page meeting materials here.
The Board could choose to defer the vote on the latter two questions to consider them further or negotiate with Tenaska if it chooses to impose additional conditions on the company before approving the requests. It has until Oct. 7 to decide, said Whitten.
In other words, depending on what the Board decides on Wednesday, the proposed plant could move ahead, hit a dead end, or face more delays.
The question of whether the new plant should come to Fluvanna has been under discussion since August 2025, when Tenaska unveiled its plan. In January of this year, the Planning Commission voted 3-to-1 that the new plant was not in “substantial accord” with the county’s comprehensive plan, with some residents raising concerns over the preservation of rural areas and clean air.
From January: Residents raise concerns during Fluvanna County Planning Commission meeting, but fate of Tenaska gas plant to be decided by County Supervisors
Tenaska argued that the plant aligns with the county’s goals for economic development, as it is estimated to bring $247 million in tax revenue over its lifetime. Tenaska appealed the Commission’s decision, which will now be considered by the Board of Supervisors.
During another meeting on Feb. 24, the Planning Commission unanimously voted that Tenaska’s request for a special use permit shouldn’t be granted. This vote is not final but rather a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors.
The debate around the proposed plant has been heated, with community members discussing other concerns including noise complaints from the existing Tenaska plant in the area and how another plant might worsen them; traffic concerns; and the potential impact on public health.
A study by a Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researcher, commissioned by the Southern Environmental Law Center, estimated two to three new premature deaths a year linked to worsening air quality over the plant’s lifespan.
Tenaska says the proposed plant would meet all state, local and federal environmental standards. In an informational leaflet Tenaska mailed to Fluvanna residents and seen by Charlottesville Tomorrow, it called the study “misleading” and “deceptive.” The meeting is expected to draw large attendance and a high volume of comments, so the Board has made changes to the public hearing and comment sections to limit the length of each.
Thanks for reading,
Anastasiia Carrier, Health and Safety Reporter
