In July 2025, Tenaska (a Nebraska -based energy company) sought to build a second natural gas plant in Fluvanna County, which would be next to the current one. The facility would generate up to 1,540 megawatts of power, which the company says is enough to fuel 1.5 million homes.
Proposed Health Impacts
- Mortality Risks: The facility was projected to cause 1.7 to 3.3 additional premature deaths annually due to air pollution. This includes modeled increases in all-cause mortality and infant mortality.
- Respiratory Crisis: Exposure is linked to the onset of asthma, roughly 1,100 annual cases of asthma symptoms, and increased emergency room visits and hospital admissions for respiratory distress.
- Cardiovascular Events: Modeled impacts include nonfatal heart attacks, out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and strokes.
- Chronic and Neurological Diseases: The report identified increased risks for lung cancer and hospital admissions for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.
- Quality of Life and Productivity: The plant’s emissions were associated with roughly 260 lost school days, 190 lost workdays, and over 1,100 minor restricted activity days per year.
- Chronic Noise Stressors: Beyond air quality, local officials cited research indicating that constant industrial noise can trigger hypertension, elevated stress hormones, heart disease, sleep disruption, and anxiety.
The Local Policy Process
The primary step in the process is obtaining a Special Use Permit (SUP) and a zoning ordinance amendment from Fluvanna County. Because the site is located in a General Agricultural (A-1) district, the project must undergo a specific review to ensure it does not fundamentally change the character of the district.
- Under Virginia Code Section 15.2-2232, the Planning Commission must determine if the “location, character, and extent” of the facility is in “substantial accord” with the County’s Comprehensive Plan.
- The process included mandatory community meetings, such as the August 2025 open house and several public hearings where residents voiced concerns over noise and health.
- Following months of research and testimony, the Commission voted 5-0 to recommend denial of the SUP in February 2026, finding the plant did not fit the community’s long-term vision.
- The Commission’s recommendation is advisory; the Board of Supervisors holds final authority to approve, deny, or add conditions to the permit. Tenaska has already filed an appeal regarding the “substantial accord” determination, arguing
What Happens Next?
Now the recommendation moves to the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, which holds final authority over the application and will make a decision at their next meeting on March 18 at 6pm, in Fluvanna County High School. Residents are encouraged to speak at the meeting to share their concerns. The supervisors may approve the permit, deny it or impose additional conditions by majority vote.
If local permits are secured, the project must then satisfy stringent state and federal regulations, a process Tenaska estimated could take up to two years. In addition, the company will have to secure the ability connect into the existing energy grid.
Sources
Carrier, A. (2026, January 9). Proposed Fluvanna gas plant could lead to new premature deaths and rising asthma rates, study finds. Charlottesville Tomorrow. https://www.cvilletomorrow.org/proposed-fluvanna-gas-plant-could-lead-to-new-premature-deaths-and-rising-asthma-rates-study-finds/
Cork, M., Guidi, G., & Dominici, F. (2025, December 19). PM2.5 air pollution impact of proposed Expedition Generating Station. Dominici Lab, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. https://www.pecva.org/wp-content/uploads/Fluvanna-Health-and-Air-Quality-Impacts-of-the-Proposed-Expedition-Generating-Station.pdf
Nuechterlein, K. (2025, September 23). Proposal for $2 billion natural gas-fired plant in Fluvanna faces pushback from neighbors. Https://Www.29news.com; 29 News. https://www.29news.com/2025/09/23/proposal-2-billion-natural-gas-fired-plant-fluvanna-faces-pushback-neighbors/
Michon, H. (2026, March 5). Fluvanna Planning Commission recommends denial of Tenaska plant in unanimous vote – Fluvanna Review. Fluvannareview.com. https://fluvannareview.com/2026/03/fluvanna-planning-commission-recommends-denial-of-tenaska-plant-in-unanimous-vote/