Public hearings are up ahead for a 107.5-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line with a preferred route going through several West Virginia counties.
The Public Service Commission of West Virginia has organized several community hearings to gather official comments before making a final regulatory decision on the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link being developed by NextEra Energy Transmission.
“This opportunity is actually for the public to speak to the Public Service Commission directly,” said Kaitlin McCormick, senior director of development for NextEra.
“We’ll have representatives there. We’ll be there to listen as well, but this provides a unique opportunity for the public to speak directly to the commission that’s reviewing the project.”
The MidAtlantic Resiliency Link preferred route would go through parts of Monongalia, Preston, Mineral and Hampshire counties.
Four public comment sessions in communities that could be affected by the project all start at 5:30 p.m.
- Thursday, June 4: Potomac State College, Church-McKee Arts Center, 121 B Street, Keyser
- Friday, June 5: Hampshire County Courthouse, Courtroom (2nd Floor), 19 East Main Street, Romney
- Wednesday, June 10: Monongalia County Center, 270 Mylan Park Lane, Morgantown, WV
- Thursday, June 11: Kingwood Civic Center, 311 Tunnelton Street, Kingwood
People planning to attend should note that the locations for the Keyser and Morgantown meetings were updated from the originally announced sites to accommodate more attendees and correct addresses.
The hearings are specifically intended for members of the public who are not formal parties to the proceeding to voice their support or concerns.
“West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice are encouraging a large turnout. This is the only time most West Virginians will have the opportunity to speak directly to the decision makers for the MARL project,” said Anthony Campbell, president of the citizen organization.
“We are encouraging everyone to invite 10 friends and then in turn have those 10 invite 10 more. Per our understanding all three PSC commissioners and their staff will be present.”
People who cannot attend the hearings or who prefer to submit feedback in writing can do so online through the PSC website at www.psc.state.wv.us, clicking the “Formal Case” link and following the prompts for online comments.
People may send written comments to Karen Buckley, executive secretary, Public Service Commission of West Virginia, P.O. Box 812, Charleston, West Virginia 25323.
All comments should include the case name (NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic, Inc.) and number (Case No. 26-0075-E-CN) at the top of the document.
The case file with the PSC currently shows more than 4,400 comments against the project and more than 100 in favor of it.
An evidentiary hearing for formal parties is scheduled to take place in Charleston from Oct. 26 to 30, potentially continuing into early November if necessary.
The project is being considered after PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator, identified reliability issues resulting from a loss of power generation sources, support for new power sources and additional electricity demand in the region.
In response, NextEra Energy Transmission subsidiaries submitted this project as a proposed solution to help address the reliability concerns.
The proposed transmission line would run from a substation in Dunkard Township, Pa., just over the border from West Virginia to a connection point near Gore, Va.
The project would cross parts of four states — Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia — so the developer will be going through oversight by the public service commissions in each of those districts.
NextEra Energy emphasizes that the project will modernize the regional power grid, boost energy export capacity and generate significant tax revenue for local schools and municipalities.
“We’re really excited about this investment in West Virginia and in the electric grid here,” McCormick said.