KEYSER, W.Va. –– Opponents of the Mid Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) transmission line are expected to make their voices heard as the West Virginia Public Service Commission public hearings on the line permit application are heard.
The hearings are set for Keyser Thursday night and Romney Friday evening. Hearings are slated for next week in Morgantown and Kingwood.
NextEra Energy Transmission wants to build the line which would run from Pennsylvania to Virginia. It would pass through about 60 miles of West Virginia, much of it through private property.
“This opportunity is actually for the public to speak to the Public Service Commission directly, “Kaitlin McCormick, senior director of development for NextEra told MetroNews previously. “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.”
NextEra touts the line would reinforce the power grid for the entire region, including West Virginia customers, and is not exclusively to benefit the Virginia data center.
Opponents don’t buy their claim.
Tony Campbell is the President of WATI (West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice).
“It actually takes the one resource West Virginia has plenty of which is energy and using our energy to basically build economic growth in another state and that doesn’t seem right,” Campbell said in an interview on MetroNews Talkline.
The Public Service Commission will have to decide if the project is permitted. They PSC has already received more than four-thousand letter in opposition to allowing the project according to Campbell. One could conclude the hearings may largely be voices of opponents as well.
“A project of this magnitude really shouldn’t be determined by three individuals who are not elected and not accountable. But I do have confidence the Public Service Commission will listen to the voices of West Virginians and make the right decision,” Campbell said.
All four hearings 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