Aug. 27—dbeard @dominionpost.com MORGANTOWN — NextEra Energy Transmission MidAtlantic told the state Public Service Commission on Wednesday that it intends to apply for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for its MidAtlantic Resiliency Link Project.
NextEra told the PSC it will apply anywhere from 30-90 days. Should the 90-day deadline expire, Next Era would file a second notice no later than Nov. 26.
MARL is a proposed transmission project to build a new 105-mile 500-kilovolt transmission line stretching from Greene County, Pa., to Frederick County, Va. Depending on the route selected, it could pass through Monongalia and Preston counties, along with Hampshire County and Mineral counties, Allegany and Garrett counties in Maryland and Fayette County in Pennsylvania.
PJM Interconnection selected MARL and the related Valley Link Transmission line that is planned to run from the John Amos plant in Putnam County eastward to Frederick County, Md., among a number of projects, based on its long-range Regional Transmission Expansion Plan, to address reliability issues associated with loss of power generation sources, support for new power sources and additional electricity demand in the region.
In West Virginia, opposition to the MARL line has been widespread — with residents and public officials saying the line will simply move power from Greene County to data centers in Virginia with no direct local benefit.
FirstEnergy subsidiary Potomac Edison stirred some confusion about the MARL project on Monday when it announced plans to file an application for a certificate of public convenience and necessity for the Jefferson County leg of the the proposed Gore-Doubs-Goose Creek Improvement Project This project will primarily take place within about 44 miles of existing rights of way, beginning at the Gore Substation in Frederick County, Md. The work will use an existing right of way that traverses east through Frederick County (17.9 miles); Clarke County, Md. (0.2 miles); Jefferson County (15.4 miles); and Loudoun County, Va. (10.5 miles).
Potomac Edison mistakenly said Gore-Dobbs was part of MARL in its Monday filing. On Tuesday, FirstEnergy notified The Dominion Post that Potomac Edison was in error, and Potomac Edison submitted a correction to the PSC later that day.