CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A complete week of evidentiary hearings on the proposed Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) project begin Monday before the state Public Service Commission.
The 107.5-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line would run from Pennsylvania to Virginia, passing through just under 59 miles in West Virginia. Counties affected include Monongalia, Preston, Hamphire, and Mineral. NextEra Energy Transmission is developing the line, and officials say the project is necessary to meet the future electricity grid demand in the region.
The PSC has scheduled six days of hearings on the project, continuing through next Monday. The PSC is being asked to approve a certificate application on the project.
NextEra and PSC staff requested a delay to the hearings following five proposed changes to the route. The requested delay was for the hearings to take place from Jan. 11-18 next year. Staff suggested that more time was needed because the route alterations came after the public hearing period, as well as just weeks ahead of the evidentiary hearings.
The PSC denied that request in early September and so the hearings will proceed as scheduled.
Emmett Pepper, policy director for Energy Efficient West Virginia, is no stranger to evidentiary hearings before the PSC. He told MetroNews that six days allocated for hearings is a rarity.
“Our cases are pretty complicated, and they’re usually done in two — they’re mostly done in one day — the big ones are done in three days,” Pepper said. “This must be really complicated stuff that they’re looking at.”
Around 190 intervenors are scheduled to take part in the case. Pepper said that may pose a challenge to fit everyone in the room.
“From a logistical perspective, I’m curious how they would go about that,” Pepper said. “The lawyer’s table only has, I want to say, about 10 or 12 spots. The room itself only holds 20 more seats.”
The hearings will take place at the PSC headquarters in Charleston.