Md. leaders noncommittal on MARL

TERESA MCMINN

TMCMINN@TIMES-NEWS.COM

CUMBERLAND — While many West Virginia grassroots organization members and government leaders have aggressively pushed back against plans for a new electrical transmission line that aims to cross multiple states, local Maryland officials haven’t taken a real stance on the project.

NextEra Energy Transmission’s MidAtlantic Resiliency Link includes a roughly 107.5-mile, 500,000-volt transmission line that aims to cross Western Maryland and West Virginia between Pennsylvania and Virginia.

NextEra last year said it was selected in 2023 by PJM — the regional transmission organization that serves West Virginia, 12 other states and Washington, D.C. — to develop the MARL “as part of a portfolio of transmission projects to address reliability concerns in the region.”

Last week, West Virginia’s Public Service Commission staff filed documents aimed to pause, “or in the alternative to dismiss,” the MARL proposal.

The PSC said additional time is needed for newly impacted landowners to have due process and fully participate in a hearing on the line, and for staff to conduct a full investigation, and more information is needed to evaluate

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the project and possible alternative plans. In response, Charleston, West Virginia-based law firm Hanna & Hanna, which represents West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice, filed with the state’s PSC official support for the staff’s recommendations.

This week in a statement, WATI said continued operation of Maryland power plants and approval of another major transmission project could delay, reduce or eliminate the need for MARL on its current timeline.

“Out-of-state energy companies are prepared to destroy our homes, farms, woodlands and legacies before the need for this project has even been fully evaluated,” WATI President Tony Campbell said. “In the Army, we had a saying: ‘Check yourself before you wreck yourself.’ PJM and NextEra need to check themselves before they wreck West Virginia.”

The West Virginia Consumer Advocate Division said it shares concerns expressed by the PSC staff and WATI about construction possibility for at least one recent MARL route change.

According to CAD comments sent Tuesday to the PSC, the West Virginia Energy Users Group and the Land O’Woods Club filed Aug. 21 letters to support the PSC staff motion.

Prior opposition

A year ago, Mineral County Commissioner Charles “Dutch” Staggs compared the proposed transmission line to a new interstate that residents would help pay for but not have access to locally. In March, the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis reported NextEra Energy had updated its cost estimate of the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link, from $441 million to $960 million.

“The total cost of the MARL line will be borne by ratepayers across the PJM region,” the report stated.

In June, the WVa. PSC held the hearing at Potomac State College to collect public feedback on the MARL.

“Not a single person supported it,” Campbell said at that time.

Maryland noncommittal

When asked by the Cumberland Times-News for their stance on the MARL, the following said: “At this time, the Allegany County Board of Commissioners has not taken formal action or adopted an official position on the MARL project.” — Kati Kenney, public relations and communications manager, on behalf of Allegany County commissioners “For new transmission projects, such as MARL, the state requires developers to file for review by the Maryland Public Service Commission under the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity process. Any position would be informed by the CPCN process, which is still in relatively early stages.” — Rhyan Lake, senior communications strategist, Gov. Wes Moore’s office “To the best of my knowledge, the proposed transmission line doesn’t directly impact the legislative district I represent. As such, I’ve tended to defer to the positions of colleagues who do represent those communities. I don’t have any particular insight or influence over West Virginia’s regulatory decisions on this proposal. In general, while I support energy projects that increase our capacity for growth and are calculated to bring down consumer prices, transmission lines need to be developed with minimal disruption of private property rights and existing communities.” — Del. Jason Buckel “I am not advocating for MARL, but if a transmission line is going to be built, it should take the route that minimizes the impact on Western Maryland agriculture and protects farmers and others property rights.” — State Sen. Mike McKay Garrett County commissioners, as well as Del. Jim Hinebaugh, did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment.

Teresa McMinn is a reporter for the Cumberland Times-News. She can be reached at 304-639-2371 or tmcminn@ times- news.com.

“ Out-of-state energy companies are prepared to destroy our homes, farms, woodlands and legacies before the need for this project has even been fully evaluated.

” Troy Campbell,

president, West Virginians Against Trasmission Injustice