CHEAT LAKE, W.Va. — Representatives with the West Virginians Against Transmission Line Injustice were joined by Cheat Lake area residents to continue to voice opposition to the proposed MidAtlantic Resiliency Link, MARL, at a Wednesday evening meeting near Morgantown.
More than 40 residents were joined by members of the state legislature the Monongalia County Commission, and even mayors from neighboring towns to discuss what the best options are to prevent the MARL transmission line that is proposed to go through five West Virginia counties from, at minimum, moving forward in the Mountain State. This follows two similar meetings that were hosted over the past couple of months where those who attended discussed the best ways to voice opposition of the project to the West Virginia Public Service Commission before a formal application is submitted by NextEra Energy, the company behind the project.
“No, I’m not surprised (by the number of people attending), I thought it was a good crowd,” said Delegate David McCormick. “I’ve been to three of these, and there’s been a good crowd every time, the community has really rallied around this (in opposition).”
McCormick was joined by Delegate Evan Hansen as representatives on a state level. Monongalia County Commission President Jeff Arnett and Commissioner Sean Sikora represented the county, with Granville Mayor Patty Lewis also in attendance.
Along with the potential damage to property values for residents living around the Cheat Lake area, residents from Preston County and even some who traveled from Garrett County, Maryland, each expressed concerns over the environmental impact of the line that will be supported by structures over 180 feet high. Those were separate from residents who are expected to have a transmission line on their property or have already seen such projects come to life in their own backyard.
“We have an existing high-powered power line going through our property now,” said Cheat Lake resident David Kelly. “And we don’t want them to come through there and widen that and take more of our property.”
Developers previously told MetroNews it would continue to spread the word about the benefits of the project.
“This is going to be an investment in West Virginia and in the region, and it’s going to provide increased access to lower cost generation sources throughout the region,” Kaitlin McCormick, a senior director on the development team for NextEra Energy Transmission, said on MetroNews Talkline.
“It’s going to strengthen the regional electric grid, and that’s going to benefit everyone. And it’s going to enhance reliability for homes and businesses and support economic growth throughout the region, including here in West Virginia.”
For public officials, the issues with the MARL project varied from the environmental concerns similarly voiced by several Cheat Lake residents in attendance to the expected utility rate increases that would come as a result of the project. For McCormick, who was one of the first voices of opposition to the project when NextEra Energy proposed it close to a year ago, his concern is that it would also defeat the purpose of key pieces of legislation that are aimed to increase economic development in the Mountain State. With bills already passed to support data center construction in West Virginia, moving forward with a transmission line that would essentially make the state a proverbial extension cord would not help those efforts.
“We’ve gone to great lengths to pass legislation, House Bill 2014 (for example), to get data centers to come to West Virginia,” said De. David McCormick. “All we’re doing, by extending this extension cord in our state to Northern Virginia, is disincentivizing them to come to West Virginia.”
As of now, the proposed route by NextEra Energy for the MARL project is expected to be formally submitted for approval to the West Virginia Public Service Commission by the end of the year. With a route proposed that would impact Monongalia, Preston, Mineral, Hampshire, and Jefferson counties already on the WV PSC website, over 880 residents have voiced opposition against the project, which is separate from formal resolutions opposing the project by the Monongalia and Preston County Commissions, with more expected in the coming months. With plans to continue to spread the word to community groups, members of WATI encourage Mountain State residents to learn more about the MARL transmission line.
“We feel it’s a very, very important issue, and we want to continue spreading the word about how much it would cost all of us if this goes through,” said WATI representative and Monongalia County resident Juliet Marlier.