Transmission Corridor proposal draws ire of many
By Emily Corio
ecorio@wvpubcast.org
Anchor Lead:
Many residents in Northern and Eastern West Virginia are waging two
battles: One over a proposed high voltage power line, and another proposal to
designate 38 counties as part of a National Interest Electric Transmission
Corridor.
They fear a corridor designation would make it easier for power
companies to build transmission lines in West Virginia.
Opponents and supporters had their chance to speak out on the corridor
status Wednesday at a Department of Energy public meeting in Pittsburgh.
Emily Corio was there and has this story.
Emily Corio (EC): Many homes in southwest Pennsylvania have the same signs that are
popping up in North Central West Virginia. They’re yellow and they read, “Stop the Towers.”
That refers to Allegheny Power’s proposal to build a high voltage power line from
southwest Pennsylvania to northern Virginia, passing over 114 miles in West Virginia.
And that power line is clearly why many people packed this hearing room on Wednesday.
But the Department of Energy’s David Meyer was quick to point out that this meeting was
about designating areas in the country where there’s congestion on power grid.
David Meyer: Designation would not determine how the effected areas congestion problem
should be resolved, and it would not propose, direct or order anyone to do anything. It certainly
would not endorse particular transmission projects. That is not DOE’s business. We are not
authorized by the Congress to do that.
EC: For many gathered at the hearing the corridor designation and the proposed Allegheny
Power transmission line are related. That’s because a federal law passed two years ago grants
the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or FERC the authority to approve transmission line
projects in areas the DOE designates as national corridors. For example, if the West Virginia
Public Service Commission doesn’t grant a company a permit in less than a year from when it
applied, the company can approach FERC for approval instead.
This concerns Monongalia County Delegate, Barbara Evans Fleischauer.
Barbara Evans Fleischauer: Our citizens will have forced give-a-ways and devaluing of their
property under a new federal eminent domain, and very disturbing to me as an elected state
official, clearly this statute, if FERC decides to exercise it’s discretionary powers, would have the
impact of usurping and preempting our state’s power to make it’s own decisions about energy.
EC: Fleischauer received loud applause and a standing ovation from a group of West Virginians
who traveled to Pittsburgh for the hearing. Janie Balasko was among them. She lives in
Monongalia County and could be affected by the proposed power line.
Janie Balasko: Why is West Virginia expected to give, give, give until we have nothing left? That
appears to be our fate in the energy arena. Our state motto is Mountaineers are always free. I
would like to keep it that way and not have the federal government controlling our land.
EC: Governor Manchin was represented at the hearing by his Deputy General Counsel, Joe
Ward.
Joe Ward (JW) to DOE: Simply some of the components of the FERC order that were recently
released that concern us . . .
EC: But the Governor did write a letter of support for the corridor status to the Department of
Energy’s Secretary.
JW to EC: He supports the lines and the designation that comes with NIETC is part of that. What
I would say though is that letter was issued back in October, since then FERC has issued a
couple of orders in the way that the process moves forward. His support for the lines has always
been premised on the fact that West Virginia Public Service Commission is going to have the
ability to rule on this and make sure that whatever’s built or not built would be in the best interest
of the West Virginia citizens.
EC: An Allegheny Power representative was one of the few who spoke in favor of the corridor
designation. Allegheny Power’s President, Dave Flitman, was also at the meeting. He says the
power grid is vulnerable, which makes the corridor status and FERC’s condemnation powers
necessary.
Dave Flitman: Our intent has always been and will continue to be to work with the state
regulatory bodies to get the lines sited and built. I think that if for some reason if that would not
happen this gives us an ultimate back up to that to really deal with this reliability need. But we
don’t have any intention to use that federal backstop authority right now.
EC: Allegheny Power is currently going through the permit application process for the proposed
line in West Virginia.
The company recently agreed to study an alternative route that would follow an existing
power line right of way.
The Department of Energy will accept public comments on the proposed National Interest
Electric Transmission Corridors through July 6th.
For West Virginia Public Broadcasting, I’m Emily Corio in Pittsburgh.
Anchor Tag:
Governors in Pennsylvania, Virginia, and New York have all sent letters to the
Department of Energy opposing the designation of national corridors.
Governor Manchin has not, nor has the state Public Service Commission taken a stance
on the issue.
However, Governor Manchin is sending a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, stating his opposition to FERC’s enhanced condemnation powers.