MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The application for the proposed Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) has been submitted to the Public Service Commission and the public comment period is open.
West Virginians Against Transmission Line Injustice Tony Campbell said comments can be filed online or by mail and the case number to reference is Case Number: 26-0075-E-CN.
Along some portions of the route through West Virginia Campbell said land agents representing NextEra Energy Transmission have been seeking access to parcels of property.
“These land agents are going to try to pressure you and tell you it’s a done deal, but those are all lies,” Campbell said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
Keryn Newman was part of a group that stopped the PATH joint venture between AEP & Allegheny Energy that would have put a 765kV line across the street from her house. She urged landowners to not make a deal in the early stages of the project for their own benefit.
“Right now, they just picking the low-hanging fruit,” Newman said. “People who are unsure, uninformed, and isolated.”
Some land owners said the land agents have threatened them with the use eminent domain which Newman said cannot be used at this stage of the process.
“Landowners can simply tell them to go away and don’t bother me until you come and show me a permit from the Public Service Commission,” Newman said. “That is the only thing that triggers their eminent domain authority.”
PJM, the electricity producer for 13 states, has one function: to produce electricity, while NextEra Energy Transmission has the role of getting that power to the consumer. So, when PJM needs more power, they have to work with the companies and organizations that can address the need and increase capacity.
“PJM, who oversees that, can only build transmission lines,” Campbell said. “They can’t dictate the construction of power plants—all they can do is move electricity from point A to point B, so you’re a hammer and everything is a nail.”
Becoming an intervener on the project gives more access to the information than just being a member of the public. Citizens or groups can request to be an intervener by submitting a written request to the PSC.
“WATI will be an intervener,” Campbell said. “We have retained legal counsel in Charleston- a great lawyer that specializes in Public Service Commission work, so he will represent WATI.”
Campbell encourages individual landowners to fight alone or join their intervention efforts. Neighborhoods or communities can band together to become group interveners much like the WATI organization.
“If you’re an impacted landowner, join WATI; we can help you; we have legal counsel,” Campbell said. “If you’re an organization like a homeowners association or a community that’s going to be impacted, gather together and become another joint intervener.”