MARL application being filed soon with Pennsylvania
The route for a proposed electrical transmission line stretching from Greene County to Virginia will be filed with the state of Pennsylvania in the coming weeks, according to the utility company developing the project.
NextEra Energy filed applications for the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link with public utility commissions in Maryland and West Virginia for siting last month, said Kaitlin McCormick, NextEra’s senior director of development. Applications still need to be filed in Pennsylvania and Virginia.
A map showing the proposed and alternate routes for the 107.5-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line is available at bit.ly/4aU3TRK.
The proposed line would start in Dunkard Township, continuing for about four miles in Greene County and another seven in Fayette County near the West Virginia border before dropping down to Monongalia and Preston counties.
An alternate route would contain additional portions in Greene and Fayette, rising to a point north of Smithfield before crossing to Garrett County in Maryland.
The routes were developed from options shown during a series of eight open houses held at spots along the MARL route last spring, including one in Fairchance.
“We looked to balance across the total route, maximizing opportunities to parallel existing infrastructure, minimizing impacts to landowners in the community, as well as minimizing the total environmental impacts of the project,” McCormick said.
Nearly 1,200 attended the open houses, with another 1,500 public comments being received on top of that. NextEra also held more than 350 meetings with local organizations, businesses and elected officials, McCormick said.
The routing process will be documented in a study as part of the application, which will be filed with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, McCormick said.
NextEra anticipates construction will begin in 2029, with the line becoming operational in the winter of 2031.
Landowners who attended the Fairchance town hall had largely been skeptical about the project.
McCormick said NextEra was continuing to work with landowners to secure easements along the route where necessary, though she did not have numbers available on how much of the route was in place. Some residents have provided right of entry for environmental surveys, which will be conducted through the year, McCormick said.
“If someone is knocking on their door, and they want to verify that (the person is with NextEra), we’re happy to take those questions and comments at any time as well,” McCormick said. “We look forward to any public input as they come out there, but they’ll all identify themselves as representatives of the company with the branded materials.”
In West Virginia, which contains about 60 miles of the route, the project has attracted more formal opposition, including a resolution against the project by the Monongalia County Commission.
Earlier this month, West Virginia’s Public Utilities Commission also filed an objection to NextEra’s application, asking it to provide more understandable language and to present information about possible impacts on electric rates in terms of dollars, not percentage points.
McCormick said regional grid operator PJM, which had selected the project, considers it critical to addressing reliability and resiliency across the region.
“This infrastructure strengthens the electric grid, which is the backbone of our country’s economy,” she said.
McCormick said residents can also continue to give feedback to NextEra at the project website and by e-mail at marl@nexteraenergy.com.
People from Fayette and Greene counties can also learn about the project at a town hall being held later this month. The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Smithfield Borough Community Center, 14 Water St., Smithfield.
State Reps. Charity Grimm Krupa, R-Springhill Township, and Bud Cook, R-West Pike Run, will attend the event, Grimm Krupa said in a Facebook post.
A representative from the Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate will also be on hand to provide information, answer questions and hear concerns from the community.
RSVPs are requested but not required. People can do so by calling 724-438-6100 or going to repgrimmkrupa.com/events.