CHEAT LAKE, W.Va. — Mountain State residents speaking out against the NextEra Energy MidAtlantic Resiliency Link have been provided options to formally register as an intervenor to the case before the state Public Service Commission.
Organizers with West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice (WATI) hosted a workshop at the Cheat Lake Volunteer Fire Department near Morgantown Wednesday night where they helped guide more 50 residents in attendance on the steps to sign as an intervener for the proposed over 107-mile-long project transmission line project.
WATI President Tony Campbell said more and more people want to get involved.
“As it’s gone on, people are coming forward, they’ve got great questions, I think folks are now starting to realize this is not hypothetical anymore,” Campbell said. “It’s a real project, a real problem, and so I thought there were great questions tonight, a great audience.”
The transmission line would support data center development in Virginia and would also include crossings in parts of Maryland, with the West Virginia portion expected to cost approximately $482 million. Opponents are concerned about their power bills going up.
“I learned that it’s going to affect all of us regardless of whether it affects you personally, with increased rates,” said Cheat Lake resident Jen Anderson who was at the workshop. “It was very informative, and I think somehow, we’ve got to get more people involved in spreading the word out.”
According to Campbell, over 4,000 protest letters have been formally submitted to the PSC. He said that doesn’t include the multiple county commissions that either intend or have already registered to be an intervening party. Based on initial feedback from Cheat Lake and Morgantown area residents that were in attendance, more intervenor filings could be taking place ahead of the June 1 deadline established by the PSC.
“I’m definitely going to be an intervener for sure, anything I can do to stop this, I don’t want to see it,” said Cheat Lake resident Joshua Hosey. “They’ll be going right beside my house, there’s already one going by my house, and I don’t want to see any more.”
Campbell said WATI intends to continue public outreach as more West Virginians sign up to protests against the project that has seen unilateral opposition from around the Mountain State. A second workshop to show Preston County residents how to file as an intervenor opposing the MARL project will take place on April 12 at the North Preston Senior Workshop, starting at 1 p.m.
“The fact that NextEra hasn’t even sent out certified mail to people is a good signal,” said Campbell. “Folks are becoming interveners even before they get the certified notification, so I think once this notification goes out, I think we’re going to see this jump up dramatically.”