An Opportunity to Reimagine Delmarva's Transmission Route

In 2026, Delmarva Power plans to replace the transmission lines and towers that traverse the Village of Ardencroft and the neighboring Village of Ardentown.

Through text, interactive maps, graphics, charts, and pictures, this web app highlights the impact of the current transmission line corridor and presents a proposal by the villages for Delmarva and our elected officials to pursue a new alignment that better serves Delmarva, the environment, and our communities for the next hundred years. 

The transmission lines connect the Silverside Substation on Silverside Rd, north of the Green Acres subdivision, to the Darley Substation along the CSX tracks off Darley Rd, west of the Indian Field subdivision. This route impacts over 60 properties owned by various organizations and households in a number of communities:

• Schools: St. Edmond’s Academy and Wilmington Montessori School
• Community Centers: Chabad Center
• Subdivisions: Westwood, Windy Bush, Meriden, Northfield, and Indian Field
• Municipalities: Village of Ardencroft and Village of Ardentown

The existing towers, installed nearly 100 years ago, grounded in easement agreements like the one described below between Delmarva’s and Ardencroft’s predecessors. These lines are essential for power delivery and the amenities that our communities rely on. While we recognize the importance of maintaining this infrastructure, we have also experienced significant conflicts, costs (financial and environmental), and time consumption dealing with Delmarva's power delivery through our communities.

As Delmarva upgrades its infrastructure with forward-thinking modern equipment to strengthen the local energy grid against severe weather, wewe urge the company to capitalize on this opportunity to minimize community and environmental impacts. Specifically, we propose rerouting the lines along the CSX tracks (the former B&O Railroad alignment) that run parallel to the current path. This realignment offers numerous benefits for the next hundred years:

• Reduced Health and Environmental Risks: Vegetation management to keep the transmission lines safely distant from contact with trees and other plants disrupts local wildlife habitats and introduces more herbicide spraying, which can be harmful to humans and decrease biodiversity. There is also concern over health issues from prolonged exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs). 10 out of 12 towers Delmarva had soil tests conducted for had lead levels in the soil below them exceeding acceptable EPA and DNREC limits--one as high as 11.5 times the standard for residential areas. While lead is now prohibited for new structures, stirring up the soil for new tower footings adds risks, and we don't know what materials used in 2026 might be found hazardouse in the future. Moving the lines away from residential and forested areas would greatly reduce environmental and health risks.
• Alleviate Housing Impacts: Properties located near high-voltage transmission lines often experience a decrease in value. Potential buyers may be deterred by the visual impact, health concerns, and noise associated with the lines. Some insurance companies may increase premiums or deny coverage for properties near high-voltage transmission lines due to perceived risks such as EMFs and potential structural damage from line failure.
• Efficiency: A common-sense extension of existing parallel alignment and easements along the former B&O Railroad, where Delmarva and CSX already maintain services along nearly the whole B&O corridor across the state.

Drag the swipe feature on the map below to reveal the existing (left side) and proposed (right side) transmission line alignment in yellow. Substations are noted with yellow square markers. The CSX tracks are in blue, and the Villages of the Ardens are delineated with a dashed green boundary.

We ask Delmarva to thoroughly evaluate the feasibility, costs, and benefits of this proposed realignment and to present their findings to the affected communities, stakeholders, and elected officials. We recognize the complexity of this undertaking and seek the support of our elected officials to facilitate collaboration between Delmarva and CSX. Our communities are committed to supporting this effort and ensuring a beneficial outcome for all parties involved.

This realignment proposal aims to enhance the long-term sustainability and resilience of our power infrastructure while respecting the needs and values of our communities. We look forward to working together to achieve this vision.

The agreement set up in 1926 between landowners and the power company at the time, and in effect now between the Ardencroft Association (owners of our village land) and Delmarva Power, establishes varying rights within zones under and around the transmission lines. The following graphic, based on one of the truss towers in our community, displays these zones:

The first 30-foot width directly below the transmission lines is where the power company has the right to clear and spray woody vegetation to keep the area clear for access and prevent vegetation that could one day reach the lines.

60 feet above the ground or higher, and within 25 feet on either side of the Clearing Zone, the power company is permitted to top off or trim trees.

If the power company trims or cuts down trees below or beyond the Topping & Trimming Zones, the Ardencroft's easement states that the owner will be compensated $500 per tree.

While transmission lines and towers are not aesthetically pleasing, even from a distance, their impact is particularly felt within an 80-foot width along the transmission lines. The charts below illustrate the land uses within this 80-foot width along the existing and proposed transmission line corridors between the Silverside and Darley substations. Because the proposed alignment doubles back through the 200-foot wide property owned by Delmarva in Green Acres, between the train tracks and the Silverside Substation (instead of narrow easements through communities) and then runs along the freight rail right-of-way, the impact on communities and open space is significantly reduced.

These two charts show the dramatic overall reduction in acres and percentage of the transmission line route alignment in residential, non-residential, and open space uses in the proposed realignment.

These acres and percentage charts indicate that the proposal would mean no residential land or open space in Ardencroft would be needed for clearing or topping off vegetation in the proposed realignment.

These acres and percentage charts illustrate that the proposal would result in no residential or non-residential land in Ardentown being needed for clearing or topping off vegetation. The village's open space impact would be halved. Ardentown has a preserved forest area opposite the CSX tracks from the rest of the village. Instead of impacting the 20 residential lots in Ardentown, power lines could instead be along the poor forest conditions at the edge of the tracks, which CSX already sprays and maintains.

These acres and percentage charts display the remaining non-municipal land impacts depending on the transmission line route. Almost no residential and non-residential uses would be impacted with the proposed alignment.

Delmarva Power sends a forestry crew every four years to ensure the vegetation along the alignment is a safe distance from the wires. During the most recent clearing maintenance cycle in February 2023, the Ardencroft Public Works Committee did not have a copy of the easement document or guidance on what was permitted. Delmarva representatives did not present legal documentation but instead provided their version of what they were permitted to do. Unlike the surrounding areas where they cleared 75- to 80-foot wide cuts through otherwise forested areas, in years past, our village managed to have them only clear about 35 feet and top off trees getting closer to the wires beyond that extent. However, years of topping off many old-growth trees near the wires resulted in dying trees, and the forestry crew clear-cut a 75- to 80-foot wide chasm through the forest that runs through Ardencroft and Wilmington Montessori School properties. This was a shocking change to the character of our cherished woods.

Not knowing we were due $500 per tree in our legal agreement, we were somewhat heartened to hear that Delmarva would plant 80 low-canopy trees along the new forest edges, but these trees are far from the edge of the clearing zone and only planted towards the school side of the clearing. We've relied on volunteers to keep them watered and clear of the many invasives taking over the clearing. We secured grant funds to begin reforesting the area with similar mid-to-low canopy trees. In 2024, we were awarded a DNREC Tree for Every Delawarean Initiative (TEDI) grant, spending thousands of dollars in State money to plant 125 trees near our previously wooded footpaths on either side of the clearing zone.

The Village hired a surveyor to delineate the easement's 30-foot clearing zone and lined it with bright stakes to ensure we do not plant woody trees within it, and to prevent Delmarva from spraying herbicides or clearing beyond it. Because we want to prevent the use of herbicides and their negative effects on our environment and community, we must maintain this 2-acre expanse at our own expense to ensure Delmarva has no need to apply herbicides when they return every four years.

We have been living through more than a year of the aftermath of the 2023 clearing, barely managing to rise to the occasion. Now this project puts our investment of time and funds in jeopardy. We know our neighbors in Ardentown feel similarly.

Scroll through the series of pictures, and you will find the location where they were taken on the map with text to describe what you're seeing.

In conclusion, the proposed rerouting of the transmission lines represents a unique opportunity to align our infrastructure with modern environmental and community values. By moving the lines along the CSX tracks, we can significantly environmental impacts, reduce health risks, protect property values, and enhance efficiency while preserving the character of our communities and natural habitats. This project not only addresses the immediate concerns of our neighborhoods but also sets a precedent for thoughtful, sustainable infrastructure development for the next century. We urge Delmarva Power and our elected officials to seriously consider this proposal and present the findings to the affected communities, stakeholders, and elected officials. Together, we can create a solution that benefits both our environment and our communities for generations to come.