Transmission gets ignored, put upon, forgotten, quietly doing an important and thankless gig---that is, until a line needs to be built near our homes. Then, power transmission is evil technology, HAL of the electric world (stretch back to that last “2001: A Space Odyssey” viewing). Then, transmission is intent on our physical destruction (with EMF) or our economic downfall (thinking that towers/lines/poles will decrease property value). Then, transmission is our enemy. We want the power, but we hate the transmission.

And, thinking transmission is our enemy makes the act of siting a line nearly impossible. It takes a lot of money and the patience of a Buddhist, mountain-top guru. There are regulatory hurdles, tech hurdles, geography hurdles, consumer hurdles. It’s a tough path to walk, even for a simple project like PATH.

PATH stands for Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline, a joint venture of American Electric Power (AEP) and Allegheny Energy to build a new high-voltage interstate transmission line from West Virginia to Maryland. Specifically, the project is a 765-kilovolt transmission line extending approximately 275 miles from the Amos Substation in Putnam County, W.Va., to the proposed Kemptown Substation southeast of New Market, Md. The project also includes a new Welton Spring Substation along the proposed route in northwest Hardy County, W.Va.

This project was approved---even deemed necessary---by the local grid operator, PJM, way back in 2007. It’s a mere 275 miles. Out here in flat plains country, that’s a bit less than a four-hour drive, what we would term “a spit in a bucket.”

Yet, that project has hit all sorts of issues, despite being inside a government-designated National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor. (You remember those. They were supposed to make transmission siting a super snap, as fast as driving the length needed. Approval in no time flat.)

There have been nasty rumors which have been repeatedly denied by the companies/parties involved, including:

“I’ve heard that PATH is only being constructed to transport power to New Jersey and none of the electricity will supply our region. Is that true?”

I’m also hearing that you’re only building this line so you can sell more power from coal-fired power plants in the Midwest to electric users in the Northeast.”

Those rumors got so heated that they are responded to on the project’s website under the frequently asked questions section.

And there have been regulatory setbacks, too. It needed to wander about 20 miles into Maryland. Maryland didn’t wish to be wandered upon and said, “No way,” setting the projecting back about a year. West Virginia and Virginia took similar regulatory high roads, projecting buckets and boatloads of demands before agreeing to even think about the project.

One of those demands was, in fact, a new study on demand, electricity demand. Basically, those regulators wanted to know if such a line was really needed. Now it looks like they might hear things (in a hearing-type format) in January (yes, January 2011) and that the project might get word of a decision by May 2011.

Remember how those corridors were supposed to make siting fly by? Like, in a blink of an eye? Remember?

Anyway, back to the story. This week, the PATH stakeholders said, “Hey, by the way, we need this line to be up and running by 2015 in order to meet rising demand.”

According to a note released late last week, an analysis conducted as part of PJM’s 2010 Regional Transmission Expansion Plan supports previous studies about the line’s necessity.

“All analysis to date indicates that the PATH project remains the most robust and effective means to ensure the long-term reliability of the PJM grid,” said Steven R. Herling, Vice President of Planning, PJM.

Whether PJM’s solemn word on the subject will be good enough for regulators in West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland remains to be seen---most likely until January 2011. At that time, PATH will be verging on four years in limbo. By the decision process in May, they’ll have another four years to build before that PJM 2015 deadline.

The question is: Will PATH really have four years to completion or will another round of rumors and regulation stall more transmission coming to the Northeast?

Whether you want you power through coal, nuclear or renewables, that sizzle has to have a path to get to the consumer. Here’s hoping this PATH paves the way for more, if all parties involved can invoke the patience of those Buddhist mountain-top gurus until the project finally gets the OK to put rubber (or, in this case, steel) to the scenic byways.

Cross your fingers for 2011.

PATH is not needed. Previous PJM forecasts have been proven inaccurate, and you know what happens when you're caught in a lie... your credibility is ruined.

Unneeded transmission infrastructure motivated by profit should never be "a snap".

Perhaps you should do a little research. Those "rumors" exist BECAUSE THEY ARE THE TRUTH.
StopPATHWV or Calhoun Powerline

Are we making your friends at the power companies angry? Amusing! :-)

Those "saintly Buddhist monks" have been caught behind all sorts of questionable activities directed at citizens.... all funded by citizens' own electric rates. Now they have a litter of pit bulls attached to their ankles, and we're not going away.

Wed Jun 23, 03:26:10 PM CDT

What are you talking about? Rumors? Those are no rumors! You put all those, what you call rumors, together, and that is a lot of problems for West Virginians! You speak of "a mere" 275 miles being a spit in a bucket for you all out in " flat plains country". Well, it's not a spit in a bucket here! We take pride in our beautiful landscapes and mountains. We love the green rolling mountains and wildflowers. Gorgeous mountain streams! We do not want one bit of the state marred with an ugly 765-kilovolt transmission line! You may not have any pride or enjoyment from your no mans land, but we do! Then there is the subject of EMF's. It infuriates me that human beings don't have a problem pushing this line on us, just to make a buck! We lead in heart disease, cancer, and Crohns Disease in the nation! Do we want more? Do we want an increase in childhood luekemia, Alzheimers, Prostate Cancer, Brain Cancer, Nervous system problems, and the list goes on and on...? I think not? Would you? You elabrate and mock the fact that it could go in our back yards. Yes, that is a problem! I know, how about we put it in your yard? Not only would it be an eye sore, but it would cause EMF over-exposure, higher electric bills, lower property values, and that list goes on and on as well. You have no idea what you are talking about, so stay out of our fight to preserve our home and mind your own business! Good day!
KSW

Wed Jun 23, 03:29:10 PM CDT

Why would anyone even consider such a plan that would add to the rates of childhood Luekemia, various cancers, alzhiemers, etc, etc... They are proposing to put this line very near (a few hundred feet) from a couple elementary school front doors! This proposed 765 kv powerline has been proven to be in the name of corporate GREED ONLY! The PATH companies (namely A.P., A.E.P. and "others" (right Bryan Brown?))and their propoganda machine (funded by MY DOLLARS) are trying to pull the wool over our eyes. The truth is evidet and easily seen if one looks, but it's all come down to lies in advertizing and propoganda. These "rumors" you speak of are in fact true and the truth is being exposed every day. I often wonder how you sleep at night with this on your conciense. Now, BOTTOM LINE, PJM forcasts have been PROVEN wrong! If the need for increased power is ther or will be there, then why is Allegheny taking TEN coal fired power plants off-line and laying off 10% of their workforce? The truth is the PATH companies have been promised 14.3% return on every penny spent on this project reguardless if it EVER goes into service! That includes all of MY money they have already wasted on this propoganda B.S.
To find the TRUTH abouth this project, please visit these sites and get involved StopPATHWV.com or Calhoun Powerline.com

Wed Jun 23, 04:35:01 PM CDT

Let's see, how many problems could I find in your blog entry? (BTW, are you sure this wasn't actually ghosted by someone with AEP or Allegheny - or maybe Charles Ryan Associates, the PR firm they've hired to (mis-)manage their propaganda campaign?)

I'll ignore your by-turns crybaby and condescending language. I'll start with the NIETC corridors: You fail to mention these are being challenged in federal court; they are by no means a done deal, and the federal backstop authority you appear to be counting on has never been tested.

The proposed Kemptown substation you so casually mention is planned to be one of the largest (if not THE largest) in North America; it also sits in the middle of former farmland that now is the locale for more than 1300 homes.

You dismiss as "rumors" arguments that the electricity is intended for the Northeast, not local markets. (1) The PATH representatives told us that in 2008, when they first held their "open houses." (2) Do a google search on "Project Mountaineer." (3) The latest RTEP released by PJM includes for the first time a brand-new line, to run from Kemptown to Peach Bottom, PA (with another segment proposed beyond that into, you guessed it, New Jersey) - do you think that we can't read a map? (4) West Virginia already exports 70% of the electricity generated here - so why, exactly, do we need this?

I could go on (and on) regarding your fast-and-loose approach to the facts you used. But how about some of the facts that you somehow failed to use:

- No mention of the 14.3% "incentive" ROE from FERC, set before the collapse of the economy; this isn't market-based, it's predatory.
- No mention of the problems that long-distance transmission will cause for the grid. Go read the Oct/Nov issue of Industrial Physicist magazine, the article "What's Wrong With the Electrical Grid?" and see how lines such as PATH will make the grid MORE unreliable, not less.
- No mention of AEP's decision to reduce its company-wide workforce by 10% just two months ago because demand has dropped so much that the company spokesperson said it would be "years before demand returns to pre-recession levels."
- No mention of the PATH companies' withdrawal of their application in Virginia last year, after experts hired by the State Corporation Commission just thoroughly trashed (and I do mean completely shredded) the companies' need forecasts.

Funny how you fail to talk about the concept of "congestion," and explain that it's economic congestion (i.e., no way to get so-called "cheaper" coal-generated electricity into Northeastern markets).

(And I don't even want to start on the question of coal's hidden costs!)

You blithely ignore the thousands of West Virginia residents who will be directly, adversely affected by this line. But I guess you probably support mountaintop removal, too - after all, they're not in YOUR neighborhood.

Wed Jun 23, 05:04:53 PM CDT

We live in the scenic mountains of northern West Virginia, We own a 400 acre farm which has been in our family for generations. We have been good to the land and have maintained it well. We drive over an hour to any major store or services, We have lived without electriicity for a long period of time when storms have taken the lines down and we have survived well on our wood heat and lamps. We chose to live in the mountains and love our way of life. Others in our Country would not care to live like our family and I respect that. But others should respect our way of life. Our family is not out of date and/or ignorant on the issues. Yes we have wireless and dish TV with CNN and FOX. We are just a hard working family that just want to be left alone. This power line is scheduled to go across the middle of our property placing at least three if not four towers that will destroy the best property we have worked hard to maintain. God gave us the opportunity to caretake his property and I feel that someone sitting at a desk far away should never have the right to take property we have worked so hard to take care of and property that we planned to pass on to our children. No one has the right to take others property until they spend years working on the farm to keep it in the condition it is. The United States Constitution was formed to keep others from stealing and taking what others have. To destroy our farm and take away from our rights is more than I can take and our family will not take this lying down. We will fight to protect us. Others will not have the right to destroy our way of life.

R L Stump
Parsons, WV
stump-jones-farms.com

PS: It just sounds like this was placed on the Web for the Power Company to know who may be problems for them. Well put my name at the top of the list. I will be proud to be part of that list.

Tue Jun 29, 06:23:00 PM CDT