Potomac Edison proposes upgrades to transmission lines in Frederick, Montgomery counties
The project, called the Gore-Doubs-Goose Creek Improvements Project, will be constructed in parts of Maryland and Virginia.
The project will start on the Maryland state line in southwestern Frederick County and continue east and south toward the Doubs substation. From there, the project will go south through western Montgomery County and cross into Virginia.
Dominion Energy, another power company, will work on the improvements between the Virginia state line and its Goose Creek substation in Loudoun County.
In Frederick County, the project will be constructed south of Adamstown and go through Tuscarora, according to a map of the proposed route.
All together, the project is about 18 miles long. Construction will start in 2027, and the project is supposed to be finished and operating by 2031.
The construction in Maryland will cost $422 million, according to FirstEnergy spokesperson Will Boye.
'Potomac Edison will recover the costs through transmission rates, a portion of which are ultimately passed through to utility customers,' Boye wrote.
A public information session on the project is scheduled for June 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Upper Montgomery County Volunteer Fire Department in Beallsville.
In a notice about this informational session published in the May 22 edition of The Frederick News-Post, Potomac Edison said it will also hold individual and small group conference calls over the next 60 days upon request.
People can request calls by emailing transmissionprojects@firstenergycorp.com or call 888-311-4737.
Potomac Edison will primarily use existing transmission rights-of-way, which will minimize environmental and community impacts, according to a project fact sheet.
The Gore-Doubs-Goose Creek Improvements Project is supposed to 'enhance transmission system reliability, accommodate growing demand for electricity by residential and commercial customers, and facilitate the connection of new energy sources,' according to the fact sheet.
PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission operator that coordinates the movement of electricity in 13 states including Maryland, selected this project to be built to address growing power demands in its territory.
The projects PJM selected to be built, including this improvements project, 'will enhance the flow of electricity across the system for all customers and help address the impact of recent power plant retirements in PJM's service territory, including in Maryland,' the fact sheet said.
Potomac Edison serves about 285,000 customers in all or parts of seven counties in Maryland, including Frederick County. The company owns and operates 1,200 miles of transmission lines in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
Project specifics
Some construction work under the improvements project will include building new 500,000-volt transmission lines, as well as:
* Installing about a mile of new 500,000-volt structures and transmission line on company-owned property.
* Removing part of an existing 138,000-volt line and installing a new steel structure to support the existing line and a new 500,000-volt line for two miles.
* Removing two structures that support an existing 500,000-volt line and two 230,000-volt lines and installing three new structures to support five lines for about eight miles. These lines include the existing lines and two new 500,000-volt lines.
* Removing a set of structures supporting and existing 500,000-volt line and installing two new structures to support that existing line and another new 500,000-volt line for about seven miles.
The company will also expand the Doubs substation, upgrade its equipment and reconfigure connecting transmission lines. All of this construction and work will occur on property owned by Potomac Edison.
Before construction can start, Potomac Edison has to get a specific certificate from the Maryland Public Service Commission, so the company is allowed to build the project.
Potomac Edison plans to file its application for this certificate in late 2025.
While the project is mainly using existing rights-of-way, there are 'some limited areas' where the rights-of-way will have to be expanded to accommodate new transmission structures, according to the fact sheet.
Potomac Edison will contact impacted landowners to discuss additional easements and temporary rights to construct the project, including access routes and tree clearing.
Boye said areas north of Doubs substation and near the Dickerson substation in Montgomery County have rights-of way that need to be expanded.
When asked how many landowners will be contacted to talk about additional easements, Boye said Potomac Edison has 'approached a handful of property owners in those areas (a mix of commercial or privately owned, undeveloped land) to discuss obtaining those easements for fair market compensation.'
Right now, Potomac Edison is conducting 'preconstruction activities' along the transmission rights-of-way, according to the project fact sheet.
Company employees might be seen driving or walking the properties where the rights-of-way are, taking measurements, placing boundary flags, and gathering soil or vegetation samples.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Harford County Walmart hosts back-to-school supply drive for local families and schools
The Walmart Supercenter in Fallston, Maryland, held its community back-to-school supply drive on Sunday afternoon to support local schools and their families. With schools getting close to starting, buying school supplies and new clothes can get pricy. According to the National Retail Federation, while consumers are getting a head start on shopping, most (84%) still have a lot more to purchase. Retail experts say the top reasons for this are that a lot of consumers are still waiting for the best deals, do not yet know what items are needed, or are planning to spread out their budgets. "It's very important to make sure the kids get the things that they need, because I know there are some parents that aren't able to supply for their children," said customer Karla Burke. Staff from the Fallston Walmart, its Vision Center, and Pharmacy discussed services for back-to-school and packed a van full of supplies for local classrooms. "It is very, very, very rewarding to see all your hard work go right back into the community you work for," said Linda Degori, a coach and GM at Walmart. Diana Strait, a team leader at Walmart, said the Fallston store has had its lowest back-to-school prices in years, and they wanted to give back to their community by hosting the supply drive. "Crayons, $5 book bags. There's a lot to offer here," Strait said. Karla Burke and Kaylin Jones grabbed a few extra items at the school drive for the school year and their church. "Mechanical pencils, yeah," said Kaylin Jones. "Pencils, pens, you know, books, yeah, a binder." Zach Colgan and Amanda Colgan -- a school counselor and librarian in Dundalk -- said it's also important for teachers and staff to be prepared for the first day of school. "We want to hit the ground running as soon as we can," Amanda Colgan said. Customers, including the Colgans, shopped for deals, but also donated school supplies for students. "So, just having those things and knowing that you're prepared just makes you in that safe space to learn," said Zach Colgan.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Mega Millions winning numbers for Aug. 15: $198 million jackpot
The Mega Millions jackpot rose to $198 million for the drawing on Friday, Aug. 15, after no one matched all the winning numbers in the drawing on Tuesday, Aug. 12. There have been four Mega Millions winners this year, with the most recent being the June 27 win in Virginia of a jackpot of $348 million. Before then, on April 18, an Ohio player took home a $112 million jackpot, a lucky lottery ticket holder in Illinois took home a $344 million jackpot on March 25 and another lucky person hit the Mega Millions jackpot on Jan. 17 for $113 million. Here are the winning numbers from the Mega Millions drawing on Friday, Aug. 15, 2025. Mega Millions winning numbers for 8/15/25 The winning numbers for Friday, Aug. 15: 4-17-27-34-69 and the gold Mega Ball: 16 Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Did anyone win the Mega Millions? Although no one won the jackpot, two winners in New York matched all five white balls – one winning a $2 million prize, the other winning $3 million. The Mega Millions jackpot for the drawing on Tuesday, Aug. 19, is now at $216 million. To view the list of past winners, visit the Mega Millions website. How to play the Mega Millions To play the Mega Millions, you have to buy a ticket. You can do this at various locations, including your local convenience store, gas station, or even grocery store. In some states, Mega Millions tickets can be bought online. Once you have your ticket, you need to pick six numbers. Five of them will be white balls with numbers from 1 to 70. The gold Mega Ball ranges from 1 to 24. If you're feeling especially unlucky or don't want to go through the hassle of picking, you can ask for a 'Quick Pick' or an 'Easy Pick.' These options let the computer randomly generate numbers for you. Mega Millions tickets now include a built-in multiplier, which increases non-jackpot prizes by two, three, four, five, or 10 times. Before, players had to pay an extra dollar to add the 'Megaplier.' Where can you buy lottery tickets? Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets. You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to select your lottery game and numbers, place your order, view your ticket, and collect your winnings — all using your phone or home computer. Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. Must be 18+, 21+ in AZ and 19+ in NE. Not affiliated with any State Lottery. Gambling Problem? Call 1-877-8-HOPE-NY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY); 1-800-327-5050 (MA); 1-877-MYLIMIT (OR); 1-800-981-0023 (PR); 1-800-GAMBLER (all others). Visit for full terms. (This story has been updated with new information.) Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at and follow him on X @fern_cerv_. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Mega Millions winning numbers for 8/15/25: Jackpot at $198 million Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Scott touts reduction of thousands of vacant Baltimore properties since 2020
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott promotes efforts to reduce vacant properties as part of the solution in decreasing homelessness in the city. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Friday that the city has reduced thousands of vacant properties over the last five years, which he said should ultimately help reduce the number of people who experience homelessness by keeping housing costs down by increasing supply. 'Affordability is number one for us in Baltimore,' Scott said at a Friday panel at the Maryland Association of Counties' summer conference. 'Baltimore, as we all know, has a ton of housing stock, but a large portion of that is unlivable, vacant housing throughout our city.' He reported that since he became mayor in December 2020, the city has reduced the number of vacant properties by about 3,500 units, after a period of more than 20 years when the number of vacant properties had not changed. 'We were at 16,000 vacant properties when I came into office. As of 20 minutes before we started today, we're now down to 12,510,' he said to applause from MACo attendees. Improving housing stock and housing access was just one of the many potential solutions offered at a pair of housing events Friday at the conference in Ocean City. Scott was joined by members of state and local government as well as homeless advocates to discuss the challenges and potential solutions to homelessness. 'People always tell you that homelessness is this simple thing to fix, and that you can take these cookie cutter approaches,' Scott said. 'No — every single person experiencing homelessness needs a specific, tailored thing for them.' More people aged 65+ face homelessness, state housing officials report He said that investing in vacant housing efforts across the city, not just in downtown areas, will especially help underserved areas where people experience higher rates of poverty. He added that a partnership between the city, the Moore administration and private developers called Reframe Baltimore will bring in $3 billion over the next 15 years to eliminate vacant houses in the city. But Scott assured the audience that there's still work to be done. Danielle Meister, assistant secretary of homeless solutions with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development, said there has been a 28% decrease in homelessness across the state since 2015. There's also been a 42% drop in unsheltered homelessness since 2015, she said. Meister attributes that drop to the state's adoption of 'housing first' policies. 'Rather than requiring people to first go through treatment or first get a job to kind of earn housing,' she said, 'we really endorse and fiercely protect the idea that they should be connecting people rapidly to permanent housing with the supports to stay there successfully. 'It's really hard to get a job, it's really hard to maintain sobriety if you don't have a regular consistent place to live,' she added. But even with that progress, there are a few populations where state data shows 'really concerning trends' particularly with people aged 65 years and older and among families with children. Meister said the number of homeless seniors doubled between fiscal 2016 and fiscal 2024. 'The vast majority of the homeless system resources, they're set up for people who can work and eventually, maybe, pay their own rent,' Meister said. 'Most of our homeless system is not equipped to serve older adults who are on restricted income.' She added that there's been a 'big increase' in families experiencing homelessness since the pandemic. 'It looks different than single adults, so what we're going to start to focus on a little bit more is family homelessness,' she said. Meister said that looking at trends in state data on homelessness can help identify and target new solutions. 'Generally, our state has been really great at accelerating permanent, supportive housing growth, not so much on other housing interventions which is more often navigated to families.' Nick Rinehart, legislative analyst for the Howard County Council, asked the panel how officials can counter the stigma of homelessness to help push solutions in their jurisdictions. 'We're elected to do the right thing, not the popular one,' Scott said. 'We have to educate folks … but sometimes, they're still going to be mad – so what? 'We have to be able to do what we know is right,' Scott said. 'We just have to do the right thing no matter who gets mad.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Solve the daily Crossword
