Sep. 26—MORGANTOWN — Two segments in Monongalia County and the entire width of northern Preston County are included in NextEra Energy Transmission’s preferred route for its MidAtlantic Resiliency Link transmission project.
NextEra unveiled the “community-informed route ” it will submit to the West Virginia Public Service Commission Friday morning.
Asked for specificity as to how much of the 107.5-mile, 500-kilovolt overhead line will pass through Monongalia and Preston counties — and generally where — a spokesperson for the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link said the route would “include fewer than six miles in Monongalia County and fewer than 16 miles in Preston County.”
Looking at the map available at nexteraenergytransmission.com, the proposed route runs from a substation in Dunkard Township, Pa. and dips into Monongalia County northeast of Maidsville near the Longview Power Plant and exits back into Pennsylvania in the area between Fort Martin Road and the Monongahela River.
It drops back into Monongalia County east of Fairchance Road in the area of Ryan Hollow and cuts southeast to parallel an existing transmission line that runs toward Preston County.
Just before exiting Monongalia County, the proposed route deviates from the existing line briefly, cutting a short, new route through a small portion of Coopers Rock State Forest in Preston County.
The path across Preston County largely parallels existing lines, but appears to deviate from that path in at least four segments.
After passing into Maryland, the route ultimately reenters West Virginia and passes through Hampshire and Mineral counties en route to a connection point near Gore, Va.
NextEra notes the proposed route is the result of more than 1, 200 public comments collected from eight open house events and two online surveys as well as more than 300 landowners, elected officials, local businesses, economic development agencies and community organizations.
According to the company, the project is needed to support the regional power grid and will serve as a significant economic driver for the region by providing increased transmission capacity and potential access capabilities.
“When complete, the MidAtlantic Resiliency Link will provide increased access to lower-cost generation resources, strengthen the regional electric grid, enhance reliability for homes and businesses and support economic growth across Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia, ” MidAtlantic Resiliency Link spokesperson Kaitlin McCormick said in Friday’s announcement.
Community groups and elected officials have pushed back, pointing out that the line is simply using West Virginia as a means to pull power from Pennsylvania primarily to benefit data centers in Virginia.
Each of the West Virginia counties to be impacted have taken a public stance against inclusion in the project.
In addition to a resolution passed in July, the Monongalia County Commission recently penned letters to both Gov. Patrick Morrisey and the West Virginia Public Service Commission stating the power lines would “impose significant and lasting harm on our community while providing no meaningful local benefit.”
The commission believes the project would negatively impact environmentally sensitive areas, property values, agricultural operations, tourism and the scenic character of the county.
According to NextEra, the finalization of the route selection process is at least a year away.
“The proposed route and several alternative options will be submitted to each state’s respective public service commissions, ” the company explained in Friday’s announcement. “The respective public service commissions will evaluate the proposed options, provide an opportunity for the community to share their feedback and make the final decision on the route one to two years after submittal.”
Anthony Campbell, president of West Virginians Against Transmission Injustice, urged concerned citizens to get involved.
“The route is not a certainty — it’s simply what NextEra wants, ” he said. “The actual application to the West Virginia Public Service Commission is not expected until later this year, and West Virginians need to make their voices heard now.”