MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In just about a month the deadline to file as an intervener in the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project will have passed, and a series of public meetings will begin.
The MARL is a 107.5-mile, 500-kV transmission line from Dunkard Township, Pennsylvania, to Gore, Virginia, running through portions of Monongalia, Preston, Hampshire and Mineral counties in West Virginia.
West Virginians Against Transmission Line Injustice WATI President Tony Campbell said landowners along the proposed route will receive certified mail from NextEra Energy Transmission, the company building the line for grid operator PJM Interconnection. He recommends residents receiving letters review the information carefully for important meeting dates, contact information, and deadlines.
“By law, NextEra Energy Transmission will send out certified mail to home owners officially warning them their land could be impacted by this transmission line,” Campbell said on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.”
WATI was formed shortly after the project was announced and has quickly grown to be a major voice for landowners and residents who oppose the project. The group has held at least eight public meetings to help guide the public through the process of gaining intervener status and has talked to the governor about the issue.
“He said he is not in favor of any project or transmission line that does not bring any kind of benefit to the state of West Virginia,” Campbell said. “He said he’s opposed to those kinds of projects.”
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito told reporters last week she recognized the reality of skyrocketing demand caused by the data center boom. The data center boom, along with policy changes at the state level in Virginia, has limited their production capacity, forcing them to look elsewhere.
“Quite honestly I think the transmission line should move forward because I think in the end I think it will benefit everybody but I do understand the payment issues, and I do think that is a source of concern,” she said.
Capito added the residents along the route should receive some benefit. A slate of public meetings in the month of June will give the more than 4,000 people who have written negative comments about the project an opportunity to ask questions and learn more.
“I personally don’t want to see West Virginians pay for an infrastructure piece that they’re really not going to get of the benefit of,” Capito said. “It remains to be seen if that is the case with the transmission line.”
The deadline to file as an intervener is June 1. Interveners are able to participate in hearings, with the option to receive case information, testify, cross-examine witnesses, and even appeal any decision by the PSC.
“Being an intervener protects your legal right, so if somehow the Public Service Commission rules in favor of this line and there’s an appeal to that, you have to be an intervener to be a part of the appeal,” Campbell said.
The June meetings are scheduled as follows:
Potomac State College Davis Conference Center, Keyser, 5:30 p.m., June 4
Hampshire County Courthouse, Romney, 5:30 p.m., June 5
Mon County Center in Mylan Park, Morgantown, 5:30 p.m., June 10
Kingwood Civic Center, Kingwood, 5:30 p.m., June 11
Public comments can be submitted to NextEra Energy Transmission with this information:
MARL@nexteraenergy.com
Hotline: 833-849-1461