Latest news with #Mid-AtlanticResiliencyLink
Dominion Post
28-06-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
Monongalia County Commission wants to sit down with NextEra
MORGANTOWN — After being inundated in recent weeks with correspondence and public comment against a power transmission project eyeing a potential route through parts of Monongalia County, the Monongalia County Commission is seeking an audience with NextEra, the company building it. The Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link, or MARL, is a 105-mile, 550-kilovolt 'major highway' of overhead transmission lines stretching from Greene County, Pa. to Frederick County, Va. It's to be constructed by NextEra by the end of 2031. While the exact path from Point A to Point B has yet to be selected, Monongalia, Preston, Hampshire and Mineral counties are within the route selection study area in West Virginia. Maryland's Allegany and Garrett counties are also included, as is Fayette County in Pennsylvania. The project will require a 200-foot right of way along its entire length, and some residents in the potentially-impacted areas have started organizing and voicing concerns about the possibility of an 'electricity superhighway' running through or near their properties. The possible impacts are made more disturbing, critics say, because rural parts of West Virginia will serve as no more than a pass-through in order to plug in a power hungry portion of northern Virginia that serves as the data center hub of the east coast. Monongalia County Commissioner Sean Sikora said representatives from NextEra initially indicated they would be in town, so the commission scheduled a work session following its June 25 meeting. 'After providing that availability, we scheduled a meeting and they indicated that they weren't available,' Sikora said. 'So, I relayed to them my displeasure that they didn't come to talk to us because we've been getting a lot of correspondence regarding this project, and we're not hearing from them. All we're hearing is from the public.' In an emailed response, NextEra Senior Development Director Kaitlin McCormick assured the commission that no decisions have been made about the route of the project, and that the path chosen by the company will ultimately be subject to review by the public service commissions of the impacted states. Further, she reminded the commission that the company recently held eight open houses across the project study area to collect public input. Lastly, McCormick reiterated NextEra's belief that the project could generate anywhere from $150 million to $400 million in tax revenue for West Virginia and $50 million to $100 million for Monongalia depending on the route selected. McCormick and other NextEra representatives originally sat down with the commission in December to generally describe the project and let the body know Monongalia County is within its route study area. Many of the communications being received by the commission of late are highlighting the actions of its Preston County counterpart. On May 29, the Preston County Commission passed a resolution opposing the MARL project as currently proposed and urging state and federal regulators, as well as NextEra, to halt any development of the project through Preston County. Sikora has said the Mon Commission is looking into the matter. 'The commission is doing its fact finding to understand all angles of the project. Just because we've been silent doesn't mean we're not getting educated on the issue,' he said. 'It's the intent of this commission to generally research issues and make sure we have all the facts before we weigh in.' It's expected that at least one member of the commission plans will attend a community-organized meeting planned for 1 p.m. Sunday at Rexroad Auction, located at 887 Rexroad Farm Road, in Bruceton Mills.
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Preston County Commission opposes proposed multi-state power line
KINGWOOD, (WBOY) — The Preston County Commission approved a resolution Wednesday opposing the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project by the NextEra Energy company, which would build a 100-mile extra-high voltage transmission line to help 'strengthen the backbone of the energy grid.' The resolution does not stop the project, but rather is a formal move made by the Preston County Commission to show that it opposes it. Dozens of Preston County residents expressed their concerns over the proposed project, while others said they were for it. NextEra Energy has held several open houses in the past few weeks across West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia, where the proposed transmission line would go through. However, some Preston County residents, like Rachel Stevens, said questions still remain about the benefits to Preston County. 'They have answered a lot of my questions, but I still conclude at the end of it that this doesn't serve the people who are affected by the development of the project. That's my ultimate conclusion at this point,' Stevens said. These are the best schools in West Virginia, new 2025 report says 'There's just been nothing that has come to the forefront with dialogue with the Economic Development Authority that would even show anything great coming from this. There's no intention of dropping power into the Hazelton sub-station, there's nothing that could help promote economic development,' Preston County Commissioner Samantha Stone, who is a part of the Economic Development Authority, said during the meeting Commissioner Hunter Thomas was behind the resolution opposing the transmission line and worked on it. 'We're coming at this with opposition right at the right time…the filing deadline is Oct. 1, so if they're going to put the project through West Virginia, they're going to file and that's probably going to be the end of it. So we need to show our opposition and put up as much of a fight so they decide that West Virginia isn't the path of least resistance. West Virginia citizens don't want this going through our area, let's put it through PA, and PA should take the burden of the powerline because they're the ones creating the energy that gets to Virginia,' Thomas said. The commission received a letter from NextEra Energy with more details on what potential economic benefits would come to West Virginia and Preston County if the project goes through the area. In the letter, NextEra Energy's President Evan Yager said that based on the company's preliminary estimates, the line is 'expected to provide anywhere from $150,000,000 to $400,000,000 in incremental tax revenue to West Virginia.' Yager added that the range is dependent on the final route, which will need approval by the West Virginia Public Service Commission, but that if the route passes through Preston County, tax revenue is estimated to be between $50,000,000 and $100,000,000.' Despite the large monetary estimates, the letter does not specify a time period through which the tax revenue funds would come through, an omission that the commissioners focused on. Although the states and counties where the project is proposed to go through have been announced, it is still unknown what path the line will take. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four-state coalition urging residents to get familiar with MARL
May 15—MORGANTOWN — A four-state coalition is urging residents of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia to become familiar with the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project — a 105-mile "major highway " of overhead transmission lines stretching from Greene County, Pa. to Frederick County, Va. The project — MARL for short — is to be built by NextEra Energy by fall of 2031. NextEra Energy Transmission Senior Director Kaitlin McCormick has described the 500-kv line as "one of the big, major transmission lines, " requiring a 200-foot right of way along its entire length. While the exact route of the project has yet to be announced, both Monongalia and Preston counties are in the path of at least one option. During a December meeting with the Monongalia County Commission, McCormick described the study area for the to-be-determined route as, "a small component in Pennsylvania, then we'll be crossing through West Virginia, into Maryland, back into West Virginia and then ending in Virginia." PJM Interconnection manages the electrical transmission system for a 13-state region that runs from Michigan to Tennessee, and from Illinois to Delaware. West Virginia is included in that region. So is the Washington D.C. area, for which PJM is predicting a dramatic increase in the number of power-hungry data centers coming online. Data centers are facilities that house computer systems and related equipment used to store, process and distribute data and applications. In other words, these facilities are the backbone that support our modern, digitally-connected lives. And they require a lot of juice. This is one of the major points watchdog groups want people to be aware of — the power lines might run through your community, or even your property, but that doesn't mean you'll be plugged in. Mark Stutzman is the communications director for Engage Mountain Maryland, one of the groups responsible for pulling together the larger, multistate PowerUP For Our Future. "A lot of people don't understand the enormity of the power that these data centers use, " he said, explaining the nearly 200 facilities in Loudoun County, Virginia's "Data Center Alley " pulls as much power as two million homes. "So, think of this project basically as a massive extension cord that's hooking [data centers ] up to Pennsylvania power plants. Marylanders, for example, won't benefit from any of this power, " he said. "These companies, like NextEra, calculate what they're going to charge their customers to cover the cost of building the project. So, it's really quite insidious what's happening, because you would think the customers should be benefiting by this, and they're actually not. The only people benefiting are with the data centers in Northern Virginia ... Ultimately, we, the customers, are the ones footing the bill for all of it. I don't think a lot of people realize that." NextEra refutes that claim, stating the MARL will not only help ensure the reliable delivery of electricity across the PJM region, but spur job opportunities and investment in local economies. For individuals — particularly those notified by postcard earlier this year that their properties may be impacted — the questions are more about what happens if your land is in the chosen path ? Will eminent domain be invoked if you don't give the company an easement ? That was one of the first questions that formed in Rachel Stevens' mind when she received such a postcard back in February. She lives on 13 wooded acres just north of Bruceton Mills, on the West Virginia / Pennsylvania line. While the Stevens family has since learned their property likely won't be distrubed, one or more of their neighbors are still very much up in the air. "People live here because they want a quieter life. They love nature. They love hunting, fishing and recreation, " she said. "I just want people to know what their rights are as landowners. I'm upset for them because the majority I've spoken to don't want this on their land. I've been trying to spread the word because a lot of folks don't know. Even the folks who got postcards, some of them ignored them initially. But this is important because it will be no small impact to their lives if this goes through." For additional information, check out and
Dominion Post
15-05-2025
- Business
- Dominion Post
Four-state coalition urging residents to get familiar with MARL
MORGANTOWN — A four-state coalition is urging residents of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia to become familiar with the Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link project – a 105-mile 'major highway' of overhead transmission lines stretching from Greene County, Pa. to Frederick County, Va. The project – MARL for short – is to be built by NextEra Energy by fall of 2031. NextEra Energy Transmission Senior Director Kaitlin McCormick has described the 500-kv line as 'one of the big, major transmission lines,' requiring a 200-foot right of way along its entire length. While the exact route of the project has yet to be announced, both Monongalia and Preston counties are in the path of at least one option. During a December meeting with the Monongalia County Commission, McCormick described the study area for the to-be-determined route as, 'a small component in Pennsylvania, then we'll be crossing through West Virginia, into Maryland, back into West Virginia and then ending in Virginia.' PJM Interconnection manages the electrical transmission system for a 13-state region that runs from Michigan to Tennessee, and from Illinois to Delaware. West Virginia is included in that region. So is the Washington D.C. area, for which PJM is predicting a dramatic increase in the number of power-hungry data centers coming online. Data centers are facilities that house computer systems and related equipment used to store, process and distribute data and applications. In other words, these facilities are the backbone that support our modern, digitally-connected lives. And they require a lot of juice. This is one of the major points watchdog groups want people to be aware of – the power lines might run through your community, or even your property, but that doesn't mean you'll be plugged in. Mark Stutzman is the communications director for Engage Mountain Maryland, one of the groups responsible for pulling together the larger, multistate PowerUP For Our Future. 'A lot of people don't understand the enormity of the power that these data centers use,' he said, explaining the nearly 200 facilities in Loudoun County, Virginia's 'Data Center Alley' pulls as much power as two million homes. 'So, think of this project basically as a massive extension cord that's hooking [data centers] up to Pennsylvania power plants. Marylanders, for example, won't benefit from any of this power,' he said. 'These companies, like NextEra, calculate what they're going to charge their customers to cover the cost of building the project. So, it's really quite insidious what's happening, because you would think the customers should be benefiting by this, and they're actually not. The only people benefiting are with the data centers in Northern Virginia … Ultimately, we, the customers, are the ones footing the bill for all of it. I don't think a lot of people realize that.' NextEra refutes that claim, stating the MARL will not only help ensure the reliable delivery of electricity across the PJM region, but spur job opportunities and investment in local economies. For individuals – particularly those notified by postcard earlier this year that their properties may be impacted – the questions are more about what happens if your land is in the chosen path? Will eminent domain be invoked if you don't give the company an easement? That was one of the first questions that formed in Rachel Stevens' mind when she received such a postcard back in February. She lives on 13 wooded acres just north of Bruceton Mills, on the West Virginia / Pennsylvania line. While the Stevens family has since learned their property likely won't be distrubed, one or more of their neighbors are still very much up in the air. 'People live here because they want a quieter life. They love nature. They love hunting, fishing and recreation,' she said. 'I just want people to know what their rights are as landowners. I'm upset for them because the majority I've spoken to don't want this on their land. I've been trying to spread the word because a lot of folks don't know. Even the folks who got postcards, some of them ignored them initially. But this is important because it will be no small impact to their lives if this goes through.' For additional information, check out and
