2 days ago
Potomac Edison proposes upgrades to transmission lines in Frederick, Montgomery counties
Potomac Edison, a subsidiary of the power company FirstEnergy, is proposing upgrades to transmission lines in Frederick and Montgomery counties as part of efforts to accommodate growing power demands in the region.
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@ 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.
