West Virginia Citizens Against PATH

SB 614 passed out of the house Judiciary committee with one opposing vote. Now it goes on to be read three times on the House floor and moves on!!!

We’ll keep you posted.

WV Citizens Against PATH Keeping you informed

PATH is a 765 kV electric transmission line that has been proposed to stretch across 13 counties in West Virginia. Click this link to see the proposed route. This is a $1.8 Billion project that will be paid for by the rate payer. Allegheny Energy is projecting a $365 million per year profit once PATH is built, while our electric bills continue to go up.

If you want to find out more about why this project is bad for West Virginia please visit the following sites…
Calhounpowerline
West Virginia Citizens Agains PATH (WVCAP)
Stop The Path.

WVCAP is dedicated to keeping you informed. We are volunteering our time to update you daily on any news associated with PATH. Please do your part by sharing this service with everyone you know. We also ask that you make some effort as well. Please read the articles we provide and consider following the links we provide to contact the appropriate politicians or groups to tell them how you feel about PATH. If everyone makes just a little effort we can get real results!

If you wish to add your name to this email list or unsubscribe from this list please send an email to wvstoppath@gmail.com

Important Note: The Public Service Commission hearings are over. The only way for you to tell the PSC how you feel is to write or fax a letter of opposition today!

Sandra Squire
Case #09-0770-E-CNWV
Public Service Commission
PO Box 812 Charleston, WV 25323
Fax: 304-340-0325

Eng. Com. Sub. for SB614 has been introduced in the House Judiciary Committee. Again we are asking for your help to let our Delegates know we want their support of SB614. The first person to contact is House Judiciary Chairman Miley. We need him to put SB614 on the agenda soon! Please contact Chairman Tim Miley today at… (304) 340-3252 or tim.miley@wvhouse.gov We are hoping Chairman Miley gets this bill on the agenda for Monday morning.
Please contact all House Judiciary members today or tonight and ask for their support of SB614 without amendments. SB614 has the best chance of passing with the current wording. This is an example of what I sent to the Delegates on the Judiciary Committee…

Dear Delegate,
I am emailing to ask for your support of Eng. Com. Sub. for Senate Bill 614.

Sincerely,

Below is a complete list of contacts for House Judiciary Committee members. Below that is a copy and paste list of email contacts for all of these members.Thanks again for all of your help!

Reaching indivdual members
Chair Tim Miley (D - Harrison) (304) 340-3252 tim.miley@wvhouse.gov
Vice-Chair Mark Hunt (D - Kanawha) (304) 340-3392 mhunt@markahunt.com 4403 supporter
Minority Chair John N. Ellem (R - Wood) (304) 340-3394 ellem@wirefire.com
Minority Vice-Chair Patrick Lane (R - Kanawha) (304) 340-3275 patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov
Larry W. Barker (D - Boone) (304) 340-3149 larry.barker@wvhouse.gov 4403 supporter
Bonnie Brown (D - Kanawha) (304) 340-3106 bonnie.brown@wvhouse.gov 4403 supporter
Mike Caputo (D - Marion) (304) 340-3249 mike.caputo@wvhouse.gov 4403 supporter
Michael T. Ferro (D - Marshall) (304) 340-3111 mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov
Barbara Evans Fleischauer (D - Monongalia) (304) 340-3169 barbaraf@mail.wvnet.edu 4403 sponsor
John R. Frazier (D - Mercer) (304) 340-3396 jfrazier@mail.wvnet.edu
Tal Hutchins (D - Ohio) (304) 340-3270 t.hutchins@wvhouse.gov
Linda Longstreth (D - Marion) (304) 340-3124 linda.longstreth@wvhouse.gov 4403 supporter
Harold Michael (D - Hardy) (304) 340-3340 Harold@hardynet.com
Clif Moore (D - McDowell) (304) 340-3189 cmoore@mail.wvnet.edu
Mike Ross (D - Randolph) (304) 340-3145 mikeross@mail.wvnet.edu
Alex J. Shook (D - Monongalia) (304) 340-3173 ashook@mail.wvnet.edu 4403 supporter
Doug Skaff Jr. (D - Kanawha) (304) 340-3362 doug.skaff@wvhouse.gov 4403 supporter
Sally Susman (D - Raleigh) (304) 340-3183 ssusman@mail.wvnet.edu 4403 supporter
Danny Wells (D - Kanawha) (304) 340-3287 danny.wells@wvhouse.gov
William R. Wooton (D - Raleigh) (304) 340-3164 wrwooton@mail.wvnet.edu
Bill Hamilton (R - Upshur) (304) 340-3167 bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov 4403 supporter
John Overington (R - Berkeley) (304) 340-3148 john@overington.com
Robert A. Schadler (R - Mineral) (304) 340-3191 rschadler@comcast.net
Patti Eagloski Schoen (R - Putnam) (304) 340-3141 pschoen@mail.wvnet.edu
Kelli Sobonya (R - Cabell) (304) 340-3175 kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov

Reach all members at once by copying and pasting this list
tim.miley@wvhouse.gov, mhunt@markahunt.com, ellem@wirefire.com, patrick.lane@wvhouse.gov, larry.barker@wvhouse.gov, bonnie.brown@wvhouse.gov, mike.caputo@wvhouse.gov, mike.ferro@wvhouse.gov, barbaraf@mail.wvnet.edu, jfrazier@mail.wvnet.edu, t.hutchins@wvhouse.gov, linda.longstreth@wvhouse.gov, Harold@hardynet.com, cmoore@mail.wvnet.edu, mikeross@mail.wvnet.edu, ashook@mail.wvnet.edu, doug.skaff@wvhouse.gov, ssusman@mail.wvnet.edu, danny.wells@wvhouse.gov, wrwooton@mail.wvnet.edu, bill.hamilton@wvhouse.gov, john@overington.com, rschadler@comcast.net, pschoen@mail.wvnet.edu, kelli.sobonya@wvhouse.gov

Now is the time for the big push in the legislature. These bills need to be placed on the committees’ agendas or they are dead in the water. Please take 5 minutes to make two calls and write two e-mails to assist with getting these important bills through the legislature that will protect our state and the citizens of WV.

House Judiciary Chairman Tim Miley
Tim Mileytim.miley@wvhouse.gov
(304) 340-3252
Please place HB4403 on the Judiciary Committee’s agenda for a vote as soon as possible. I support this bill because written notification to affected property owners at the time of filing an application with the WV PSC is a critical piece missing from WV law. Also, West Virginia electric rate payers should not be subsidizing transmission line projects that benefit electric companies in other states. Accelerated rate recovery should only be available to power projects that help West Virginians and strengthen reliability of service in West Virginia.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Jeff Kessler
jeff.kessler@wvsenate.gov
(304) 357-7880
Please place SB 614 on the Judiciary Committee’s agenda for a vote as soon as possible. I support this bill because written notification to affected property owners at the time of filing an application with the WV PSC is a critical piece missing from WV law.

Let’s make an effort for WV Citizens.

Senate Bill 614 was introduced to change how the Public Service Commission handles applications for high-voltage transmission lines. There are two provisions:

(1) “Within five business days of filing an application, the applicant shall serve notice by certified mail on all owners of surface real estate that lies within one thousand feet of the center line on both sides of the proposed transmission line as currently shown on the records of the respective county clerk, as well as operators of all currently producing oil or gas wells that lie within one thousand feet of the center line on both sides of the proposed transmission line.”

(2) “Will economically, adequately and reliably contribute to meeting the present and anticipated requirements for electric power of the customers served by the applicant or is necessary and desirable for present and anticipated reliability of service for electric power for its service area or region: Provided, That the commission includes written findings articulating how its decision is made in the best interest of West Virginia customers to meet the present and future needs and reliability of service for West Virginia customers;” [Everything from "Provided..." on is added by SB614]

While this bill will not benefit the fight against PATH, it will provide protection for West Virginia citizens facing future projects. We ask that you please contact your legislators (see the list on the Judiciary Committee) and support this bill. See Bill 614 here. For more information, please see The Calhoun Powerline blog

HB4403 is a bill to amend and reenact §24-2-1e and §24-2-11a of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, all relating to not allowing accelerated rate of recovery for adverse effects of constructing transmission facilities andrevising the definition of need.
Here’s a link to the bill.

HB 4403 also provides important protections for West Virginians, as it requires that the applicants for projects such as PATH notify property owners within one mile of centerline of such projects in writing, to be sent via certified mail. Currently, there is no notification requirement and that is why we all had to work so hard to get the word out about PATH. Other states have this requirement and it’s time for West Virginia to equally respect the property rights of its citizens. Right now, this Bill is scheduled to come before the Committee for a vote on February 24th. Several members of StopPATH will be in Charleston that day lobbying for this Bill, but we also need your help! Please call or email Committee Members and let them know that you support HB 4403. Below is a sample email that you can send:

“I am writing to urge you to support HB 4403 (currently before the EIL Committee), which will protect the rights of property owners by giving them individual notice at the beginning of the PSC process so that they can participate in a transmission line case that affects their property. New transmission projects that will be coming before the PSC are bigger regional lines with multi-state impacts. HB 4403 would require that the PSC put the interests of WV consumers and landowners ahead of power companies’ regional profit making ventures. New transmission projects have wide ranging impacts. HB 4403 will require the PSC to consider the full range of these impacts whenthey decided on certificates of need.”

If you prefer to make phone calls, here are a few talking points and a link to a list of committee members Here are some talking points to use:
• 4403 will protect the rights of property owners by giving them individual notice at the beginning of the PSC process so they can participate in the transmission line case.
• New transmission projects that will be coming before the PSC are bigger regional lines with multi-state impacts. 4431 would require that the PSC putthe interests of WV consumers and landowners ahead of power companies’ regional profit making ventures.
• New transmission projects have wide ranging impacts. 4403 will require thePSC to consider the full range of these impacts when they decided on certificates of need.

Try to stay away from discussion of specific power line projects like TrAIL andPATH. Don’t focus on issues like coal or other environmental issues. 4403 is about giving property owners the ability to protect their property and for West Virginians to participate fully in the PSC process leading to better outcomes in the future. This bill is about the PSC and how it operates. That is what legislators will want to know about. If we stay focused on the PSC process, we can win a lot of supporters who may not understand all of the complexities of PATH and TrAIL. Keep it simple. Stay focused on the talking points. Last year, we were effective in stopping Governor Manchin’s ill-conceived transmission tax and with your help, we can make a difference in the legislature this year too!

Remember what Margaret Mead once said: “Never doubt that a group of committed citizens can change the world: indeed it is the only thing that ever has.”

Read this article from Delaware Online. Lower energy projections put brakes on power lines

From istockanalyst.com

(Source: The Frederick News-Post)By Ed Waters Jr., The Frederick News-Post, Md.
Jan. 5–Allegheny Energy will go before the Maryland Public Service Commission on Wednesday to apply for a certificate of convenience and necessity for its transmission line project.

The administrative meeting will begin at 10 a.m. at the William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 St. Paul St., Baltimore. The item is one of a dozen administrative listings to be heard by the PSC that morning.

In September, the PSC denied 3-1 an original application for the project over legal issues. The utility company had filed that application under PATH Allegheny, which is not an accepted power generation entity in Maryland. The new application is through Potomac Edison, the accepted power utility name for the state.

PATH, or the Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline, is a 275-mile, $1.8 billion project that would stretch from West Virginia, through Virginia and about 20 miles of Maryland. It would end at a proposed substation near Mount Airy , known as the Kemptown Substation. It is a joint project with American Electric Power.

Allegheny Energy said the project is needed to meet future power demands, though the company sought to withdraw its application in Virginia and delay review in West Virginia.

Last week, a spokesman for the utility company said new data shows the immediate-future need for more electricity may be less than anticipated, but the 2014 target date for completion remains.

The utility company said delaying the process in Virginia and West Virginia, and the new filing in Maryland, will better coordinate review of the process in the three states.

Opposition has risen in all three states. Opponents question the need for the project, recommending studies of alternative energy sources.

Opposition also includes the visual and environmental impact of the transmission line and safety issues, especially of the proposed substation.

The substation, part of Wednesday’s application, would be the largest in the nation and one of the largest in the world.

At the initial hearing last year, a Frederick County government attorney said the county should have authority on the overview and decision for the proposed substation.

From Stop PATH WV:

We have been told that Gov. Manchin has a meeting set with President Obama for next week, Jan. 12 to be specific. It would be a GREAT help if all our PATH opponents could flood the White House email system with messages asking the President to stand with us, the public, rather than coal and energy interests! And ask all your family, friends and co-workers to do the same - let’s see if we can’t get thousands of emails sent by the 12th!

Send your message using this link: www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/ Following is the message that Roger Eitelman, the president of our Jefferson County intervenors group, sent. Feel free to use all or part of it, or compose your own!

Dear Mr. President:

I am told you will meet with Governor Manchin on January 12, 2010, to discuss energy issues. He will no doubt promote increasing coal fired electricity to be transmitted to the mid-Atlantic and northeast states via a 765 kV transmission line known as PATH. Please reject the Governor for the following reasons:

1) Coal is horribly polluting today. Clean coal experiments are starting, but clean coal combustion will not be achievable for decades to come;

2) The PATH application in Virginia has been declared unnecessary by the applicant due to significantly flawed planning by PJM (the electricity planner for this region);

3) PATH is viable only because FERC promised a 14.3% profit on all costs associated with the project to be paid by 50 million electricity consumers in 13 states even if no power ever flows through the PATH lines and regardless of who consumes the electricity that PATH transmits;

4) PATH passes very close to hundreds of homes ruining home values and assuring a spike in childhood leukemia, breast cancer, certain brain tumors and Alzheimer’s disease. The sponsors of PATH refuse to purchase the affected homes;

5) When a proper PJM electrical need plan is completed, future demand will be met by the new non-polluting nuclear generators PJM chose to ignore in their present plan. These units are proposed for Calvert Cliffs, MD, North Anna, VA, and Bell Bend, PA. Applications for each have been submitted to the NRC.

In summary, pollution-free electrical generation is your goal to meet future needs and to replace existing production as polluting units retire. The plan to do that is well underway in this region of America. PATH and the associated increase in highly polluting coal-fired electricity transmitted hundreds of miles by the largest extension cord ever built is WRONG and NOT NEEDED.

Please reject Governor Manchin and continue to promote nuclear, wind and solar power sources for electrical generation. Expansion of unneeded coal-fired electricity generation today is totally unacceptable.

Sincerely, Roger Eitelman

Read the motion to withdraw

PATH Seeks To Withdraw, Suspend Richmond Hearings
By Margaret Morton

Representatives of PATH-VA filed several motions Monday with the Virginia State Corporation Commission aimed at scuttling-for now-its application to construct the Virginia portion of an almost 280-mile 765kV transmission line that is designed to bring power from West Virginia to Maryland. The venture is a joint partnership between Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power.

First, PATH filed a motion to withdraw its application to build the line in Virginia. Simultaneously, the company sought to suspend the evidentiary hearing that is slated to begin Jan. 19 in Richmond, pending a decision on the motion to withdraw the application.

PATH attorneys indicated the company intends to re-file an application to the SCC next year, based on the most up to date electrical load information available. Those forecasts are scheduled to be released in May.

At the same time, through Allegheny affiliate Potomac Edison Company, the company filed a new application with the Maryland Public Service Commission to build the line and the Kemptown substation in that state. The commission in September had denied the application on grounds PATH did not qualify as an electrical company under Maryland law.

In a statement issued Monday, PATH representative Mark Nitowski said the filings were intended to “align the procedural schedules in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia to enable “regulators to consider the need for the project based on the same facts.”

Under the current schedule, the Virginia hearings would conclude before similar hearings are held in either Maryland or West Virginia, PATH attorneys said, claiming it would be better for regulators to consider the arguments at the same time.

The date of the Richmond hearings was set in July, and opponents of the line, who next month plan to challenge the company claims that the project is essential to address growing demand for power, expressed frustration over what they saw were simply delaying tactics by PATH to gain time in order to build a more convincing case for need of the 765kV line.

The filings were in line with what PATH attorney Richard Gary, of the Hunton & Williams law firm in Richmond, indicated the company would do during a public hearing last month in Lovettsville.

Attorney John Flannery, who represents the residents of the Rivers Edge subdivision near Lovettsville, had predicted that PATH would invoke procedural gambits to buy the time the company needed to prove need. Although PATH requested more time, both in November and again on Monday, to make its case, it has not explained why its original applications to all three states could not meet the required standard.

Continue the article in Leesburg Today