Latest news with #CertificateofPublicConvenienceandNecessity
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Commissioners 'not in favor' of proposed solar farm
CUMBERLAND — While county officials don't have the power to stop a proposed solar farm in their own jurisdiction, they plan to voice concerns and encourage area residents to do the same. The issue was discussed at Thursday's Allegany County Board of Commissioners meeting. LaVale resident Gregg Donaldson said installation of 15,000 solar panels are planned for farmland in his neighborhood in the area of Helmstetter's Curve on Cash Valley Road. 'I recently attended an informational meeting by the company who has a signed contract with the current farm owner,' he said. 'There is the potential that only a few residents of Allegany County would benefit.' Donaldson said many other areas of the county would be more suitable for a solar farm. The proposed location on Cash Valley Road would negatively impact 'the iconic farm scene that for years has been enjoyed and photographed by many (people) biking and hiking the Great Allegheny Passage trail or riding the scenic railroad train from Cumberland to Frostburg.' Board of Commissioners President Dave Caporale said the solar farm proposal did not include input from county officials. 'I think everybody is in agreement with you,' he told Donaldson. 'There are a lot of places in our large county that may be more suitable for something like this.' County attorney T. Lee Beeman said state, rather than local, officials control location for such projects. 'Essentially the state takes away our ability to choose — under our own zoning regulations — where we can place solar projects,' he said. However, county officials and impacted residents can offer input about the proposal during the Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity process, Beeman said. 'We'll get notice when the developer applies for that CPCN and we'll have the opportunity to submit comments,' he said. 'While we don't have the ability to talk about zoning location, we do have the ability to talk about and provide input on development standards.' Cash Valley Road resident Susan Mallozzi said the project would cause the Helmstetter's Curve area to become an eyesore for tourists who pass through scenic Mountain Maryland. 'We are against the proposed solar farm,' she said. 'We live directly across from the site.' Green fields that could be lost to the project have in past years 'produced rows and rows of corn and the best Timothy hay around,' Mallozzi said. 'We feel our property values will be at great risk,' she said. 'Citizens are at the hands of big companies who search for land to make a profit in the name of green energy with no regard to our land preservation.' Commissioner Bill Atkinson said the GAP is one of the best recreational trails in the country. 'That is one of the most scenic parts of the whole trail,' he said of the area proposed for the solar farm. 'We hear your concerns and we're definitely letting people know that we're not in favor of that in any way, shape or form.'
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed solar farm could be largest of its kind in Maryland
WESTERNPORT — A solar farm proposed near Westernport could become the largest of its kind in Maryland. REV Renewables, which recently completed the construction of a 26-megawatt solar facility 3 miles south of Frostburg, will undertake the project, if it's approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission. The company, headquartered in New York, owns and operates energy facilities from California to Maine. A virtual public hearing about the project was held Tuesday evening by the PSC. The developer applied for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which grants an applicant the authority to construct an energy generating station, in December. Micheal Svedeman, the senior director of project development for REV, gave a presentation about the project. 'We work closely with local communities throughout those (projects),' he said. REV hopes to have the project completed by late 2027. The project, known as the Jade Meadow III Solar Project, would be 300 megawatts and have two arrays. The solar panels would be primarily located in Garrett County, with a portion of the new transmission line run through Allegany County. Located just northwest of Westernport, the facility will straddle the border between the two counties on the eastern slope of Big Savage Mountain. 'It is one of the largest solar projects to be proposed in Maryland to date,' Svedeman said. According to REV, it will be able to power the equivalent of 42,500 homes annually. The construction and upkeep of the facility will also create about 350 or more jobs. Just like the facility south of Frostburg, the solar fields will be built on former coal mining lands. 'The majority of the parcels have been historically both strip and underground mined for coal,' Svedeman said. REV plans to work with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources to 'revegetate' the land with native pollinator seed mixes. 'We view this as a good use for historically mined land,' Svedeman said. Jason Harper was the only local resident to comment on the project. 'I live in the area and I'm looking forward to it,' he said. Written comments can be sent electronically at Comments can also be sent by mail to Jamie Bergin, Chief Clerk, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul St., 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202. All comments should reference Case No. 9769. Additional public hearings for the project will be held Aug. 4.
CBS News
09-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
BGE plans to build new overhead transmission lines in parts of Maryland as coal-powered station closes
Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE) is planning to build new overhead transmission lines and upgrade others across parts of Maryland in response to the retirement of a coal-powered electric generating station. The new transmission lines would cross Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Harford counties. BGE submitted a project application that explains how this work is necessary to address thermal and voltage violations that would come as a result of the retirement of Talen Energy's coal-fired Brandon Shores Generating Station. According to the Maryland Public Service Commission, BGE applied for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) in July 2024. If approved, the certification would allow BGE to build high-voltage transmission lines in the state. The application shows that the project would include: The Public Service Commission is holding three meetings to hear input from the community. The meetings will be held on the following dates: Written comments can also be shared online or by mail through May 1. Find more information HERE. A similar transmission line construction project sparked controversy for some Maryland residents. The Piedmont Reliability Project, efforted by New Jersey-based company PSEG Renewable Transmission, would create 70 miles of overhead powerlines through parts of Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. The company said the project would help the state meet its growing demand for electricity. During a series of public input meetings, residents and state leaders raised several concerns about the Piedmont Reliability Project. Some residents argued that the transmission lines could impede on their property, and others raised concerns about the environmental impact. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation conducted a study that found the transmission lines would cut through hundreds of acres of protected area, watersheds, forest and wetlands, impacting habitats and water quality. PSEG said it adjusted the alignment of the project, taking into account the more than 5,000 public comments it received. Gov. Wes Moore also shared his concerns "about how the study area for this project was determined, the lack of community involvement in the planning process, and the lack of effective communication about the impacts of this project." PSEG has applied for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), however, in February, Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier said she would intervene in the application process. Carroll and Frederick counties also filed petitions against the project.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dominion Seeks Virginia Approval for 1-GW Gas-Fired Power Plant
Dominion Energy has asked Virginia officials to approve its request to build a new 1-GW natural gas-fired power plant, as the company seeks to add more generation capacity to help serve surging demand from data centers. Dominion asked Virginia's State Corp. Commission for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for the facility, known as the Chesterfield Energy Reliability Center (CERC). It would be built adjacent to the existing Chesterfield Power Station. The certificate would enable Dominion to move forward with the project, and would include necessary air quality and water permits. Virginia is a U.S. hub for existing data centers and also data center development. Loudoun County in that state is known as "Data Center Alley." Officials have said that some 200 data centers in the area carry more than 70% of global web traffic. The new gas-fired power plant's location was changed to the Chesterfield site last year. The facility originally was set to be built at the James River Industrial Center, near Interstate 95. The CERC is east of that location. The new gas-fired plant would be built near Units 7 and 8 of the existing 446-MW Chesterfield Power Station. Want to learn more about how power demand from data centers is impacting the power generation sector? Register to attend event in Denver, Colorado, on Oct. 28. The summit is associated with event in Denver scheduled for Oct. 28-31. The region is home to several power generation facilities and planned energy projects. James River Industrial Park, a site about 7 miles south of the James River Industrial Center, was recently chosen as the location for what could be the world's first nuclear fusion power plant. Commonwealth Fusion Systems in December of last year said the company would a 400-MW fusion facility on a 100-acre site at the industrial park. The Chesterfield station, which entered operation in 1952, as recently as 2018 had six operating units (four coal-fired, two gas-fired) generating nearly 1,800 MW of electricity, according to industry data. Dominion stopped using the coal-fired Units 3 and 4 in 2018, and closed them permanently on March 31, 2019. Coal-burning Units 5 and 6 were shut down on May 31, 2023. Dominion in its filing said the new plant would have four, 250-MW simple-cycle gas turbines, and would not need new pipelines or transmission infrastructure. Dominion said it expects construction would begin next year, with commercial operation of the plant expected in 2029. The company said the turbines would be capable of combusting natural gas and natural gas with a blend of up to 10% hydrogen, along with low-sulfur #2 distillate fuel oil. The facility also would include six 3,500-kW black start generators firing ultra-low-sulfur diesel. Environmental groups have opposed construction of the plant, saying the area has been plagued by pollution from existing gas- and coal-fired power facilities. Rachel James, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, in a statement about the recent filing said: "Adding more pollution to an already overburdened community is unacceptable, especially when there are clean energy alternatives that can meet the energy and capacity need the gas plant is meant to serve." There also are ongoing court challenges to the zoning for the facility. Dominion in a February earnings call said the utility had about 40 GW of power capacity for data centers in various stages of contracting as of year-end 2024. Dominion officials already have plans to expand capacity at other existing gas-fired facilities; the utility in January said it would add 44 MW of new generation to its 645-MW Possum Point Power Station in Prince William County, Virginia. POWER has been reporting on the impacts of power demand from data centers on U.S. utilities, including how the energy-intensive industry would support natural gas-fired generation, along with nuclear power and renewable energy resources. Demand from data centers also is prompting some utilities to keep operating coal-fired power stations that had been slated for retirement. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis recently reported that utilities in four Southern states—Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia—have plans to build more than 20 GW of new natural gas-fired generation capacity in the next 15 years. The report said data centers would account for at least 65%, and perhaps as much as 85%, of projected growth in power loads in that region. —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Environmental advocates challenge FERC on MVP Southgate gas pipeline project
Workers began laying portions of the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Roanoke County, Virginia near the Blue Ridge Parkway. (Photo: Ned Oliver/Virginia Mercury) The long-simmering controversy surrounding the MVP Southgate natural gas pipeline project has surfaced again. On Thursday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard oral arguments in a challenge brought by environmental advocates to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) decision to extend the project's construction deadline. As a result of the extension order, MVP retains the authority to take property through eminent domain with the Southgate methane gas pipeline addition that's proposed to run from southern Virginia into north central North Carolina. Lawyers from Appalachian Mountain Advocates argued the case on behalf of the environmental petitioners Appalachian Voices, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League, Center for Biological Diversity, Chesapeake Climate Action Network, Haw River Assembly, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, and Wild Virginia. 'The damage to our waters and our communities caused by the Mountain Valley Pipeline are an ugly predictor of the destruction the Southgate project will cause,' Wild Virginia conservation director David Sligh said in a statement. 'It is inexcusable for FERC to ignore that evidence and allow the same kind of costs and pain to be imposed on the people and environments along Southgate's proposed path.' The MVP Southgate project has faced substantial opposition since its initial proposal in 2018. Though originally slated to run through both Rockingham and Alamance Counties, the current plan only includes Rockingham. Earlier this month, project developers submitted an amendment to FERC for the Southgate section. The updated proposal changes the project to shorten the pipeline's length while increasing its diameter and adding Duke Energy as a customer. The developer, MVP Joint Venture, made an amendment request in lieu of submitting a new application. It says the new proposal will 'bring a much-needed new supply of reliable, affordable, domestically produced natural gas to North Carolina.' Environmental petitioners on Thursday argued that FERC's decision disregarded MVP's admission that it intends to construct a significantly different 'redesigned' project in lieu of the FERC-approved project, and that the agency did not uphold its legal obligation to conduct a thorough environmental and public interest review. Opponents to the project said there should be a new application since the new proposal's route and impact vary from FERC's original Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, issued in 2020. 'It has a different purpose. It's much shorter, but it's moving more gas,' Greg Buppert, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, told NC Newsline. 'This is a long-term investment in greenhouse gas emissions, and an investment that can't be easily undone.' Buppert said these decisions are made based on available data that could change rapidly, meaning the facts present in the future could vary drastically from today. The original MVP Southgate proposal in 2018 sparked controversy and faced hurdles. The project did not move forward. The updated plans for Southgate would change the route, length, and pipe diameter to include 31 miles of 30-inch diameter pipeline in North Carolina and Virginia, increasing methane and greenhouse gas emissions in the southern portion of the country. 'There is no sensible scenario where all this gas including MVP Southgate, is truly needed by Southern communities,' Megan Gibson, senior attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center, said in a statement. 'This ultimately will hurt consumers and businesses within our region.' Jessica Sims, the Virginia field coordinator at Appalachian Voices, described the Southgate project as 'unnecessary' and 'dangerous' to the communities and environment in its proposed path. 'We've seen the abject misery that Southgate's developers inflicted with their Mountain Valley Pipeline, and that history should not be repeated — FERC should deny this amendment,' Sims said in a statement. MVP Southgate is one of three large natural gas pipeline projects proposed for North Carolina in recent years. The others are T15 Reliability Project and Southeast Supply Enhancement.
