CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The state Public Service Commission is scheduled to hold six days of evidentiary hearings beginning Oct. 26 for the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL).
The PSC is being asked to approve a certificate application for the 107.5 mile proposed project.
MARL is a 500 kV transmission proposed to run from Pennsylvania to Virginia, via Monongalia, Preston, Hampshire and Mineral counties.
West Virginians Against Transmission Line Injustice (WATI) President Tony Campbell wants as many people and interveners to attend the Charleston-based hearing as possible. The interveners will be able to listen to testimony and question witnesses or the testimony provided by developer NextEra Energy Transmission.
“We’re encouraging any intervener that is a party in the case should show up Monday and Tuesday, and they will have an opportunity to ask NextEra Energy questions,” Campbell said.
The load forecast and future needs really aren’t clear, according to Campbell. Grid operator PJM believes the increased demand for electricity by data centers will triple by 2030. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has questioned the numbers provided by PJM and has the utility giant take another look. FERC also rejected the PJM proposal to allow large energy-using data centers to plug into their grid with the promise they would be the first to be shut off when capacity is limited, not consumers.
“PJM said no; they didn’t know that demand really exists,” Campbell said. “These lines are being built on speculation, not hard data.”
Kaitlin McCormick, senior director, NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic, said the project will strengthen the grid, create jobs, foster future economic development and be a source of revenue into the future.
“Independent grid analysis indicates the project could benefit local utilities serving more than 500,000 West Virginians while also supporting jobs, economic investment, and long-term tax revenue for local communities,” McCormick said.
The PSC refused to reset the hearing although being asked to do so by PSC Staff a few weeks ago. Staff expressed concern after NextEra changed the line route after public hearings were held. The PSC kept next week’s hearing date but will allow newly-impacted property owners to take part.
Groups like WATI and others have noted there are no plans for a substation or any additional electricity access for West Virginia residents along the proposed route. Some off-the-record comments have been made about the possibility of a substation along the route, but no location has been mentioned, and there are no plans in their application with the PSC.
“Potentially down the line there could be a substation added,” Campbell said. “In the application NextEra Energy filed with the Public Service Commission that is not part of the deal.”
The PSC has set aside Oct. 26-Nov.2 for the case. The proceedings are scheduled to begin around 9:30 a.m. each day. The PSC has elected to dedicate the first 2 1/2 days to the presentation and cross-examination of 10 witnesses from NextEra Energy that are expected to attend.