Latest news with #MPRP
CBS News
21-05-2025
- Business
- CBS News
Maryland residents fighting against land access for controversial electrical grid project
Maryland residents are pushing back against a possible court order that would allow surveyors on their property to assess the controversial Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP). A federal judge recently listened to arguments on both sides -- the developers and the landowners -- before making a decision. PSEG Renewable Transmission, a New Jersey-based company, applied for a permit to begin the construction of 70 miles of overhead 500,000-volt power lines connecting an existing transmission line through parts of Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties. PSEG then filed for court-ordered access to the properties. PSEG said they must start by completing non-invasive environmental surveys which are standard practice across many industries for any new construction and are required for the permitting process at the federal, state and local level. Awaiting a judge's ruling Susan Euteneuer, who represents the Maryland landowners, said they don't want their rights curtailed. "For a project that really doesn't help the grid, that really impacts their properties without great benefit to Maryland," Euteneuer said. Euteneuer said the judge asked questions during a recent hearing before taking more time to decide. "There are a lot of legal moving parts here with regards to whether or not PSEG has this authority," Euteneuer said. "Then, if it does, what circumstances can it exercise this authority?" Euteneuer said the impact of this project goes beyond the farmers advocating against it. "Some of these farms will no longer exist," Euteneuer said. "The farms that put the food on your table. The farms that develop the food that your family needs." "It's not for Marylanders or the reliability of Maryland." Brandon Hill learned last year that his farm, Rolling Hills Conservation, is in the path of the transmission line project in Baltimore County. "It's going to start at the top of my hill, take out that forest there, which is an old-growth oak forest. It's going to cut across my field here, basically, render this whole field here not usable," Hill said. Hill said the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project will make it difficult to harvest many of the different crops on his farm. "They won't stand being mowed, deforested. That's what a transmission line does," Hill said. PSEG on the filed court order PSEG did not comment on the legal proceedings and referred back to its statement on the Temporary Right of Entry. PSEG said, "A temporary right of entry is not an easement and does not grant permanent property rights or construction rights or obligate the landowner to grant an easement. "Over the past 4 months, the MPRP team has engaged with property owners along the line on multiple occasions requesting access and offering monetary compensation to conduct these surveys. Despite our efforts to engage with property owners and even offer reasonable compensation, we have been unable to gain voluntary access from a sufficient number of property owners that will allow us to conduct these environmental surveys." PSEG added they are willing to "make one more public effort to request property owners to allow MPRP to conduct surveys on their property." Euteneuer said she received an attached order from the judged regarding a supplemental briefing due May 29. Euteneuer added that she filed a Petition to Intervene at the Public Service Commission (PSC) for the Maryland Farm Bureau. She said PSEG opposed it, arguing only landowners should be allowed to be parties. Euteneuer said PSC granted the petition.
Yahoo
20-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Power Struggle: MPRP makes local farmers worried about their safety, continuation of operations
This story is the first of an occasional series about the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP), a proposed 500,000-volt transmission line to cross three counties, and its potential impacts on people living and working in Frederick County. The project is being developed by the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG). When Nancy Gardetto and her husband, Chuck, met in 2005, they both were in the Washington, D.C., area. She was working in law enforcement, and he was doing electrical engineering for the government. Something they had in common was a dream to own a farm. Gardetto mentioned on her online dating profile that she grew up on a farm in New York. Her family had a five-acre farm, and her job growing up was milking and raising the goats, while her brother raised the pigs. She said that's why her husband originally messaged her through the dating site — he always wanted to have a farm, too, but had never really told anyone. "Ever since the moment we met, the thing was that we wanted to have a farm someday," Gardetto said. The couple purchased about 40 acres in Hanover in Anne Arundel County and started Copper Penny Farm, named after each of their dogs. Gardetto said they started raising pigs because they do well in the woods, and their property was in a wooded area. Copper Penny Farm- MPRP Nancy Gardetto drives a utility vehicle near cattle at Copper Penny Farm in Adamstown on Feb. 26. Power lines are shown in the background. When buying the farm, Nancy and her husband, Chuck, carefully considered the aspects of their farming operations and living situation with the existing power lines on the property. With the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, a 500,000-volt transmission line that would run through their front yard, the Gardettos are unsure how they would operate their farm. They also started raising chicken, sheep and cattle — but the space just wasn't big enough, and they wanted to focus more on grass-based farming and selling beef and lamb. So, in 2019, the Gardettos — now with two sons who help on the farm — moved the operation to Adamstown in Frederick County where they could significantly expand the business. For example, instead of having three or four cattle at a time, the farm now has a herd of at least 100 and breeds livestock. Copper Penny Farm delivers its products and also has a farm store for customers to come in to buy items. Gardetto said the farm still delivers to Anne Arundel County — because they had a great customer base — and to local residents in Frederick County. The Gardettos' property already has power lines running over it, which they knew about and considered when buying this property. The power lines run over a field and can be seen from the family's house. Gardetto said they can farm under the power lines, but they can't use metal waterers because if the air is humid, the electricity will go down and electrify the water tank and the water in it. Their animals will get shocked when they try to drink. She also said the power lines electrify the fencing underneath, even though it isn't electric fencing, because it contains metal. Gardetto said the family decided they could still live in the home because the power lines were far away enough from them. But now, another power line — the MPRP — is proposed to go between the existing power line and the Gardettos' home, running across their front yard. "We did not agree to that when we bought this place," Gardetto said in an interview in February. "The idea that they [the developers] could come in and just do it because it's for the good of all is infuriating." What is the MPRP? The MPRP is slated to be nearly 70 miles long and would go through northern Baltimore County, the middle of Carroll County and parts of Frederick County, ending at the Doubs substation. The project is meant to help meet anticipated power demands on the regional power grid operated by PJM Interconnection, which coordinates the movement of electricity in 13 states — including all of Maryland — and Washington, D.C. As part of developing the project, PSEG has applied to the state for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity, which would allow the company to build the transmission line should its application be approved. In addition to the hundreds of properties in the route's path, there are 58 parcels that PSEG added to its application as possible places for access roads, which the company would use while constructing the MPRP. PSEG spokesperson Bill Smith said that it's possible for the MPRP route to be adjusted or changed during the application process. Smith said that PSEG has "engaged with residents and property owners to address their concerns regarding agriculture, safety and property values" since the MPRP was announced and will continue to do so. He also said PSEG does not have eminent domain rights — a governmental power to seize private property for public use with just compensation — without its certificate application being approved. On April 15, PSEG filed a request for a court order to gain temporary access to properties on or along the MPRP route to conduct environmental and field studies as part of its certificate application. MPRP route and county outlines Copper Penny Farm- MPRP Documents relating to the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) are shown in the Gardettos' house at Copper Penny Farm in Adamstown on Feb. 21. The MPRP is proposed to cut across their front yard. Gardetto is one of hundreds of residents fighting against the development of the MPRP being proposed by New Jersey-based energy company PSEG. More than 170 petitions to intervene were submitted to the state for PSEG's application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity. A petition to intervene is a request to become a formal party in a case and be able to actively participate in the legal process and influence the outcome of a project. Gardetto is one of the many who submitted a petition to intervene. If the transmission line is built, Gardetto said, she can't imagine living in her current home. She doesn't know if it'd be safe for her family to live there, with power lines greeting them at the door, so they'd probably have to move — but having the MPRP so close to the home would probably deter buyers. Gardetto also said it would double the problems the farm has had with electricity, like animals getting shocked. She doesn't know if she's up to move Copper Penny Farm to a new location, either, after already doing it once six years ago. "To pick it up and do it all over again, I don't know that we would do that. I think that we would have to change our business model or just stop farming," Gardetto said. "I just don't know." Copper Penny Farm- MPRP Nancy Gardetto feeds Jim at Copper Penny Farm in Adamstown on Feb. 26. Copper Penny Farm- MPRP Sheep stand in a field as existing power lines are shown nearby at Copper Penny Farm, owned by the Gardetto family, in Adamstown on Feb. 26. Nancy Gardetto said farming is possible with the existing lines on their farm, but they cannot use metal waterers due to the proximity to the existing power lines and its potential to shock animals when the air is humid. Gardetto said the MPRP would double the problems the farm has had with electricity. Copper Penny Farm- MPRP Pigs wait for food at Copper Penny Farm in Adamstown on Feb. 26. Autumn Springs Farm in Mount Airy Tammy Naill-Waddell said her father had a dream to have his own farm and water source, which led him to buy the property where Autumn Springs Farm is in Mount Airy. The property runs from Talbot Run Road to Black Ankle Road and has a long, winding dirt path leading up to the house where two of Naill-Waddell's brothers live. She said the family is incredibly private, and part of why they like the property is because it's hard for other people to access. Near the entrance to the farm, there's a creek running past a blue barn and out toward a field. Autumn Springs Farm- MPRP Tammy Naill-Waddell pauses for a moment with Snap at Autumn Springs Farm on Feb. 18. Tammy said the family's farm is their sanctuary and the MPRP is a threat to the family's safe space. Naill-Waddell used to breed horses. Although she doesn't do it anymore, she still takes care of horses on the property, who roam around together in the fields and will stop to drink at the creek. Naill-Waddell said her father wanted to buy a property that he could put houses on and somewhere that was big enough that, if anything ever happened to her or any of her four brothers, they always had a place to come back to. "This is our sanctuary, our zone," she said. She said the MPRP is a threat to the family's safe space. Naill-Waddell, who submitted a petition to intervene, said the transmission line would cross two creeks on the property and go over the hill between those creeks. It'd be hanging over the driveway. She said that part of the property is part of a floodplain designated by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, and there has been flooding in the past. If the MPRP is built, trees that "hold the hill" will need to be removed — increasing the risk of significant erosion. "Any time that you remove trees and change the ecosystem and the environment around the base of those trees, it changes everything," she said. "Flooding gets worse because they're no longer being stopped." But what's even more pressing for Naill-Waddell and her family is keeping her brother, Lee Naill, safe. Naill is one of the brothers living at Autumn Springs Farm. In 1992, while working on a bridge as a construction worker, he was shocked by power lines running alongside the bridge. He fell from the crane he was operating and was shocked by 50,000 volts from a power surge going through the transmission line. He had to get both of his arms amputated. Autumn Springs Farm- MPRP Tammy Naill-Waddell and her brother Lee Naill stand together while posing at Autumn Springs Farm on Feb. 18. Lee was shocked with 50,000 volts from power lines while working on a bridge as a construction worker. He had to get both of his arms amputated. The MPRP route is proposed to go above their driveway and Tammy said Lee would be scared to drive underneath if it is built. Naill-Waddell said her brother would be scared to leave the house and drive under the MPRP, if it gets built. She said it'd be like making her brother drive with a gun to his head — and she and her family will do whatever they can to protect him and keep the property that was intended to be their refuge. She refuses to give PSEG the permission for any of the land, such as the right-of-way needed to construct the transmission line. "If people come in, they're going to be politely asked to leave," she said. "You're coming on my property and there's no trespassing signs there — I'm going to be calling the cops and having you [charged] with trespassing and solicitation." Naill said that before his accident happened, he heard the hum of electricity running through the power line. "I don't ever want to hear that again," he said. Autumn Springs Farm- MPRP Tammy Naill-Waddell unfurls a flag reading 'Stop MPRP Come and Take It' at Autumn Springs Farm on Feb. 18. She said she refuses to give the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) the permission to use any of the land, such as the right-of-way needed to construct the MPRP. Autumn Springs Farm- MPRP Tammy Naill-Waddell stands by horses at Autumn Springs Farm on Feb. 18. Tammy said that part of the property is floodplain designated by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency and flooding has occurred before. If the trees surrounding the property are cut down for the MPRP, it would increase the risk of significant erosion. Gaver Farm in Mount Airy Lisa and Michael Gaver started selling Christmas trees at Gaver Farm in 1984, the year after they got married. Lisa Gaver said her husband started planting these trees when he was 17 as one last project to do with his grandfather who was dying from lung cancer. She said Gaver Farm started off just selling those trees and traditional crops and dairy products — but over the last 40 years, as their family has grown, so has their farm into a sprawling agritourism operation. Over the past several decades, Gaver Farm has expanded to host an annual Fall Fun Fest, where residents can hop on a hay ride to the farm's pumpkin patch, explore a corn maze, meet animals at a farm petting zoo and learn about agriculture through educational activities. Gaver Farm - MPRP Lisa Gaver, left, looks at her husband Mike Gaver in one of the fields at Gaver Farm on March 31. The 40-acre field is one of the areas that would be affected by the MPRP. Lisa Gaver said that different crops are 'constantly rotated' through the field and that it is instrumental to the farm. Gaver said the farm was the first one in Frederick County to plant dwarf apple trees, leading to a pick-your-own-apples orchard that's been expanded four times since 2010. She said her son and daughter, despite having gone off to college and getting other degrees, came back to Gaver Farm with their respective spouses because they wanted to help keep the business moving forward. "We've been doing this a long time. We consider ourselves innovators in original ag tourism — there certainly wasn't a name for it when we had opened that first year for Christmas trees," she said. "... Each part of our farm supports the other parts of the farm, and I believe that a lot of people don't really understand." The MPRP is proposed to cut through a 40-acre field on Gaver Farm that is instrumental to the business — Gaver said the field is "constantly rotated" for the farm's customer base, and different crops are planted on the field depending on what the farm needs. Customers go onto that field to look at pumpkins or Christmas trees, or to explore the farm's sunflower field. Gaver said the route PSEG chose was the only one, out of all the 10 possibilities, that goes through the farm. "Maybe the part no one talks about is the emotional and physical stress that can come from an out-of-state corporation taking your land for a power line for another out-of-state corporation that has nothing to do with your state," she said. The MPRP could "devastate our ability, our business," Gaver said. The transmission line would come over I-70 and go across the left side of the farm when viewing it from across the parking lot. Then, the line would go into the woods — requiring trees to be cut down to make room for the right-of-way — and a tower would be placed at the top of a hill, where the farm has placed its deer fence gates. Gaver said the eight-foot deer fence is necessary to grow any specialty crops, such as apple trees. She said for the specialty crops, there are multiple people in the field every week. In 2020, the farm added a path through the field so people could walk, if they didn't want to go on the hay ride. Gaver Farm - MPRP Mike Gaver walks near the deer fence at Gaver Farm on March 31. With the MPRP cutting through the woods on the property, Gaver said this could affect the deer fence used to protect specialty crops, like apple trees. The top of the hill is where people get on the hay ride, as well as where the farm's employee station is. To have the MPRP go over the field would pose a safety issue to the farm's customers and employees walking under the line or riding vehicles underneath. She also said the deer fence would have to be moved. Although PSEG told her at a public meeting the company would pay losses her business suffers, she said, her concerns go beyond just paying for one crop. "You're taking the ability to ever have a crop there," she said. Gaver Farm posted on social media last year about the MPRP and how it would devastate their operations, and thousands of people responded to posts, with hundreds sending letters in support of the farm to PSEG and the Maryland Public Service Commission. Gaver said when her farm got a letter in October that the property was on the route, she responded saying Gaver Farm wasn't interested in chatting with a PSEG land agent about providing any of the property for a right-of-way. Right now, Gaver said, the farm is operating like no project is looming over their heads. That's all they can do right now. "The hardest part for us is that we've built up this business and taken our entire life doing so and that someone else can just walk in and act like nothing you do matters," she said. Gaver Farm - MPRP Dark clouds roll in over the horizon near some of the farm's attractions, shown on the right, while Lisa Gaver sits on the back on a utility vehicle as her husband Mike Gaver drives at Gaver Farm on March 31. Over the last 40 years, the farm has grown into a sprawling agritourism spot. According to Lisa, the MPRP would affect the farm's operations.
CBS News
17-04-2025
- General
- CBS News
Surveyors for controversial Maryland electrical grid project want access to residents' properties
Residents in multiple Maryland counties may soon be forced by court order to allow surveyors onto their land. The developer behind the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) filed for court-ordered access to these properties. This means the courts will now decide whether or not they will be able to move forward with this part of the MPRP project. The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) has become controversial among many Maryland residents . "The trees we see here, the trees that are under threat, are the trees that my great-grandfather planted here," said Joanne Frederick, president of STOP MPRP and a Maryland landowner. "This farm is also protected by conservation, and this farm is also protected by conservation and preservation easements and all to keep the legacy and protect the environment." PSEG Renewable Transmission, a New Jersey-based company, applied for a permit to begin the construction of 70 miles of overhead 500,000-volt power lines connecting an existing transmission line through parts of Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties . "This is certainly a David versus Goliath situation," Frederick said. On Tuesday, PSEG filed a court order for Temporary Right to Entry to take environmental surveys of 91 (parcels) properties for the project. This controversial task would run high-voltage lines through Frederick, Carroll, and Baltimore counties on land owned by people like Frederick. However, before the project can move forward, the company explained that they must finish environmental surveys on landowners' properties. In order to do this, they have to receive temporary right of entry from landowners. "If the judge rules in PSEG's favor, we'll be standing on edge even more for months and months and months, never knowing really if today's the day that someone's going to knock on your door," Frederick said. Frederick explained that the project would destroy several acres of her property and her neighbors. In November 2024 , WJZ reported that the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said the project posed several risks to Maryland's habitat and water quality, damaging protected forests, nutrient-rich wetlands, and sources of clean water. "It's certainly an escalation, and it feels like a threat. It feels like a threat to people's safety and security and enjoyment of their homes," Frederick said. A spokesperson for PSEG said that the project is essential to support Maryland's growing electric needs and that the current electrical system is overloaded. According to PSEG, the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project is a needed infrastructure project that will both help maintain the reliability of the electric system in Maryland and put downward pressure on the cost of electricity by increasing the supply entering the state. The company explained that Maryland currently imports 40% of the energy it consumes from elsewhere. This means electricity must be brought in via transmission lines that move power from other states. PSEG did issue a statement a week before the court filing, stating that they would seek court orders to allow surveyors the right of entry to certain properties where property owners have not voluntarily allowed access. "PSEG is also willing to have discussions with landowners regarding compensation for the Right of Entry. To reiterate, this is not an easement and does not grant permanent property rights or construction rights or obligate the landowner to grant an easement," a PSEG spokesperson wrote in a statement to WJZ. The statement continued, "Because we would prefer to avoid having to take court action, we have decided to make one more public effort to request property owners to allow MPRP to conduct surveys on their property. PSEG is also willing to have discussions with landowners regarding compensation for the Right of Entry. To reiterate, this is not an easement and does not grant permanent property rights or construction rights or obligate the landowner to grant an easement." According to PSEG, to date, the current filing impacts 91 parcels in the initial filing, and there will be additional filings over the next few months. "This should not only be PSEG's narrative or and it should not only be PJM's narrative," said Frederick. "This line is not needed. Virginia may need more power for the data centers that they choose to build in Virginia, but that is not Maryland's problem, and we shouldn't be forced to pay the price." Frederick said the individual landowners listed on the filing are meeting with attorneys to support those listed and the others are expected to come.
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
PSEG to file court order seeking temporary access to properties along MPRP to review land
The Public Service Enterprise Group, an energy company developing a transmission line that would cross three counties in Maryland, plans to file a court order on April 15 — the first of several filings — asking for temporary access to properties along the project route. PSEG needs to access properties in order to conduct field studies along the route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP), a 500,000-volt line that will extend for almost 70 miles across Frederick, Baltimore and Carroll counties. In Frederick County, the MPRP would run through the southeastern and southern parts of the county near New Market and Ijamsville, continue toward Buckeystown and Adamstown, and end at the Doubs substation. Maryland is requiring that PSEG conduct these studies, which will help illustrate the full environmental effects of the MPRP, to move the project forward. Thousands of residents and many elected officials from around Maryland have mobilized against the project and have expressed fear, anger and frustration about the MPRP cutting through properties or possibly hurting the environment. PSEG has a contract with PJM Interconnection, the company that coordinates electricity movement in 13 states and Washington, D.C., to build the MPRP to address anticipated increases in power demand. Part of this increased demand is due to new data centers to be sited in Maryland and Virginia, which are estimated to require up to 7,500 megawatts of electricity. Additionally, PJM has said that 11,000 megawatts of power generation across the grid have recently been deactivated while power demand continues growing. PSEG sent out about 800 letters in the fall to the owners of about 600 tracts of property who will be impacted by the MPRP route. Some of the land parcels have multiple owners. For months, land agents on behalf of PSEG have been reaching out to affected property owners to discuss the company temporarily accessing properties to conduct environmental surveys and field studies. Some owners have been offered compensation of $1,000 for a temporary right-of-entry. Most people have either not responded or denied PSEG's requests. Jason Kalwa, the project's director, said field data is used for most permits to confirm environmental conditions. He emphasized that gaining temporary access to properties through this court order would not be the same as PSEG using eminent domain. Eminent domain is a governmental power to seize private property for public use with just compensation. PSEG will not have access to the properties anymore after completing the field surveys. A judge would decide how much time to grant. 'The property owners are not giving up any other rights. This is temporary access. This is effectively to allow our experts, environmental and otherwise, to walk on the property, take an assessment of what they see there,' Kalwa said in an interview. '... It's not eminent domain. It gives us no permanent rights to the property. It merely gives us access to the property to conduct surveys, which are necessary for many types of permits out there.' PSEG is asking for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity from the Maryland Public Service Commission as part of developing the MPRP. This certificate authorizes the construction or modification of a new generating station or high-voltage transmission lines and is necessary for the MPRP to move forward. 'The MPRP will prevent extensive, severe, and widespread thermal overloads and voltage collapse conditions (reliability violations) from occurring on the bulk transmission system that serves Maryland electric customers and the surrounding region,' PSEG said in its application. On March 26, the Power Plant Research Program, which is part of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, said PSEG's certificate application is incomplete — it doesn't have enough information on alternative project routes or specific environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The Maryland Public Service Commission said on Jan. 10 that it would start making a procedural schedule to move the application forward once the Power Plant Research Program deemed the application as complete. The program said PSEG didn't provide 'any discussion detailing why each of the alternative routes other than the proposed route ... were rejected and instead, focuses on why the proposed route was selected.' The program also said the application doesn't adequately show the environmental and socioeconomic consequences of the MPRP's construction and operation. Specifically, the application doesn't include field studies, which are necessary to verify that the MPRP's impacts are correctly documented and appropriate mitigation actions are taken. The program said the application lacked these field-based surveys: * Wetland delineations * Forest stand delineations * Geotechnical surveys * Surveys on sensitive species project review areas * Maryland Historical Trust-required field surveys 'Without field-based information, [the program] cannot fully evaluate the Project's impacts to Maryland's socioeconomic and natural resources,' the program said in a letter to the Public Service Commission dated March 26. The Power Plant Research Program said it isn't opposed to scheduling a prehearing conference for PSEG's application to set a limited procedural schedule, but it still needs more information outlined in its letter to finish assessing PSEG's application. Once it's determined that the application is complete, further procedural dates can be scheduled. Need to seek judicial support The same day the program gave its letter to the commission, PSEG filed a response asking for a prehearing conference to be held to create a procedural schedule so the MPRP can be built by June 1, 2027 — the date that PJM said the MPRP has to start operating. To meet this deadline, PSEG has to start constructing the transmission line by January and therefore needs a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity by then. PSEG also wants the conference to be held to rule on more than 170 petitions to intervene, most of which were filed by people with properties on or near the MPRP route. A petition to intervene is a request to become a formal party in a case and be able to actively participate in the legal process and influence the outcome of a project. PSEG also asked the Public Service Commission to determine its application is complete for the purpose of setting a procedural schedule. The company said the information the Power Plant Research Program wants 'go to issues that [the program] would like to better understand and not as required information that is missing' under Maryland law. Still, PSEG anticipated that the Power Plant Research Program would ask for field studies, which is why the company has been trying to access properties. Its response says that where 'necessary and appropriate, the Company may also need to seek judicial support to conduct the surveys.' Bill Smith, a PSEG spokesperson, said the court filing PSEG plans to submit on April 15 will involve getting temporary access to about 90 properties. There will be multiple filings requesting temporary access if PSEG can't negotiate with the remaining property owners for voluntary rights-of-entry. The company is still willing to have discussions with landowners regarding compensation for rights-of-entry to avoid taking court action. Kalwa said PSEG is aware that some property owners are extremely hostile to the company and won't welcome the idea of company representatives walking on their land. 'The safety and security of our team, the contractors that work for us, members of the public are of utmost importance. ... We just ask for folks' patience throughout all of this. We understand it's difficult,' he said. 'For the folks that don't want to talk to us, if they could, if they'd be willing to have a conversation with us, I think they'll find us to be reasonable, and hopefully, that'll calm some of their fears.'
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Anti-MPRP group considering legal response to PSEG court order filing for land access
Stop MPRP, a nonprofit group dedicated to stopping the creation of a regional transmission line across Maryland, is looking at potential legal responses to a planned court order filing requesting temporary access to properties along the project's route. The Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), an energy company based in New Jersey, announced Wednesday its intention to file a court order asking for access to properties on or near the route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP). The MPRP is a proposed 500,000-volt transmission line that could cut through northern Baltimore County, central Carroll County and southern Frederick County, ending at the Doubs substation. PSEG has a contract with PJM Interconnection, the company that coordinates the movement of electricity in 13 states and Washington, D.C., to build the MPRP to address anticipated power demand on the regional grid. PJM has predicted a significant increase in power demand partially due to new data centers to be sited in Maryland and Virginia, which could require up to 7,500 megawatts of power. Additionally, more than 11,000 megawatts of power generation have been recently deactivated, meaning less power is being created as the demand rises. PSEG said it needs access to the hundreds of properties along the route to conduct environmental studies and field surveys to move the MPRP forward. In order to obtain a certificate from Maryland authorizing the company to build the MPRP, the state is requiring PSEG to conduct these studies to verify the scope of the project's environmental and socioeconomic impacts. PSEG plans to file a court order on Tuesday asking for temporary access to about 90 properties to conduct these surveys. This could be the first of many filings if PSEG can't successfully negotiate voluntary rights-of-entry with other property owners. Jason Kalwa, the project's director, said in an interview that gaining temporary access to properties through a court order would not be the same as PSEG using eminent domain. Eminent domain is a governmental power to seize private property for public use with just compensation. PSEG will not have access to the properties anymore after completing the field surveys. A judge would decide how much time to grant the company access. "The property owners are not giving up any other rights. This is temporary access. This is effectively to allow our experts, environmental and otherwise, to walk on the property, take an assessment of what they see there,' Kalwa said. "... It's not eminent domain. It gives us no permanent rights to the property. It merely gives us access to the property to conduct surveys, which are necessary for many types of permits out there." PJM has set a deadline of June 1, 2027, for PSEG to finish the MPRP and start operating it. 'We're going to stand together' Since the project was announced in June, thousands of residents have joined to form a fierce wave of opposition to the project. At public meetings, they've yelled at PSEG representatives and expressed frustration and fear of how the MPRP cutting through private properties could destroy businesses or drive people out of their homes. Stop MPRP, which has members from all three counties the MPRP would be in, was formed for the purpose of stopping the project and advocating on behalf of people who will be affected by the transmission line. Its website, includes resources like how to access the proposed route map and what actions people can take to oppose the project. It also sells items like shirts, bumper stickers and yard signs so people can show their opposition to the project. When cars drive on areas where the MPRP would go in Frederick County, several properties may have yard signs stuck at the edge of their properties. They say "No eminent domain for corporate gain" and "Stop Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project," next to a picture of a power line tower being crossed out. Stop MPRP also has a Facebook group, which had about 10,300 members as of Wednesday afternoon. After PSEG announced the MPRP's final path in October, it sent out about 800 letters in the fall to the owners of about 600 tracts of property who will be impacted by the route. Some of the land parcels have multiple owners. Joanne Frederick, president of Stop MPRP's Board of Directors, sent a statement after the final route announcement that said the organization's members are committed to stopping the project completely, regardless of the proposed route. Land agents on behalf of PSEG have been reaching out to affected property owners to discuss rights-of-entry to properties. Some owners have been offered compensation of $1,000 for a temporary right-of-entry. Most people have either not responded or denied PSEG's requests. When Frederick learned about the news of the requested court order Wednesday morning, she said, she wasn't surprised. Although Stop MPRP doesn't know yet what specific legal response it may pursue — they need to see PSEG's court order filing first — she said the organization "won't sit idly by" and does plan to respond. She questioned a court's ability to compel people to give up land rights and said PSEG has acted aggressively, now "threatening to take land owners to court," she said. "These people are scared," Frederick said. "... We're going to stand together." Frederick County spokesperson Vivian Laxton said the county's stance on the MPRP is still the same in light of news of the court order filing, such as that PSEG should've had a more transparent public engagement process before moving forward with the project. In September, County Executive Jessica Fitzwater and the Frederick County Council signed a letter urging the state to reject any certificate application from PSEG for the MPRP. The letter criticized PSEG and PJM for not providing enough information or prior notice of the project to the public. It also said the MPRP "will directly and negatively impact current homes, businesses and farms ... historical preservation sites, and will diminish the property values of thousands of Frederick County residents.'
