Capon Valley Coalition

Ralph W. reports:

The WV Public Service Commission has been receiving a small but
increasing number of letters of SUPPORT for the proposed transmission
line that cuts through the Capon Valley, including River Ridge.

See www.psc.state.wv.us/, click on the “Transmission Line” link as it scrolls through the “HOT TOPICS”, then click on “activities”.

If you have not sent a protest letter (or have not sent one recently), it might be useful to send
one.

I have a sample posted at www.adjoint-functors.net/RR/

Ralph W. reports:

Allegheny Energy (AYE 52.60, +0.45, +0.9% ) posted a second-quarter profit of $77 million, or 45 cents a share, up from $31.1 million, or 18 cents a share, a year ago, due to higher prices and cost cutting. Operating revenue rose to $826.5 million from $722.2 million a year earlier.

By the way, you are the ones paying the higher prices.

CVC Chairman Bill Golemon filed the following report in mid-July. We have been derelict in getting it on the Web site:

We have not been able to intervene at the WV PSC. I believe the cost was prohibitive, probably over $20,000 plus the cost of expert witnesses. The deadline is July 22. There are a dozen or more organizations and individuals who have filed already. I have suggested to some of them and to PEC that perhaps PEC could give them some advice or assistance for their appearance at the hearings.

The PSC was not able to find a suitable outside firm to do an Environmental Impact Study and will be doing their own with state assets. I don’t know the status of that. Perhaps one of you could call Caryn Short at the PSC (lead attorney on the case) and ask her. As of last week they were planning regional meetings probably in Sep or Oct, with the hearing in Oct or Nov. I have asked that one be held in Romney.

I attended a meeting in Preston County on July 9 called by their County Commission, similar to the one in Monongalia County earlier. Billy Jack Gregg, head of the PSC Consumer Advocate Division, spoke and answered questions. Over a dozen people spoke out very passionately in opposition to the power line(s) and the NIETC designation. There were two state Senators and two delegates who spoke in opposition. We (and many others) are making headway!

A group of legislators met with Governor Manchin, and he has since written a letter to DOE changing his position, somewhat, on NIETC (influenced also, I believe, by the meeting he had in Romney with CVC members on May 14).

(We will get a copy of that letter online soon.)

Numerous state legislators are on the bandwagon, and hopefully we can get some of ours to support their efforts. I believe a couple may be involved, Ruth Rowan and Sen. Walt Helmick, but I don’t know for sure.

I have asked our Commissioner, Steve Slonaker, to arrange a similar meeting in Hampshire County and invite Mr. Gregg, along with Hardy County and any other Commissioners, and all of our local state legislators. I hope this comes about.

The thing to do now is to write more protest letters to PSC, write, call and e-mail all state and federal legislators, Gov. Manchin, other appropriate state agencies and anyone else we can think of.

Manchin may call a special legislative session, and we should make every effort to get this on their agenda. The Pennsylvania legislature has done that, even testified in congress, Gov. Kaine and the Attorney General in VA have written to DOE opposing the NIETC designation, and we need to do that in WV.

We are having an impact!
Bill

On Aug. 2, the Associated Press reported:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) - An Allegheny Energy Inc . subsidiary is seeking to gain easements for a proposed interstate transmission line, although the project has not yet won state approval.

Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co. is offering to purchase options for the easements from property owners along the path of the proposed 500-kilovolt line. The option price is usually 10 percent of the purchase price, Allegheny spokesman Allen Staggers said.

Property owners will keep the option money if the company does not exercise the option, he said.

“It’s a prudent step for us,” Staggers said. “We have more than 1,000 easements to acquire along the route of the line. When you take a look along the scope of that, it makes it impractical to start negotiations at the approval point. It’s prudent for us given the scope of the project and the time frame to do this work now and acquire these options.”

Allegheny asked the state Public Service Commission in March to approve the project.

The $1.3 billion Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line would be built by Allegheny and Dominion Energy of Richmond, Va. It would run 240 miles from Washington County, Pa., to Loudoun County, Va.

West Virginia’s segment would run about 114 miles through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire counties, Allegheny has said.

“I was really shocked about the upfront money,” said Carol Petitto of Smithtown. “That kind of money may be hard to turn down for some people because the risk seems to be minimal, especially if the project doesn’t go through.”

Staggers said he did not know how many landowners had granted easements.

The original story can be found on AOL News.

From West Virginia Public Broadcasting last Friday (Aug. 3):

Allegheny Power wants to build a high voltage power line from southwestern PA to northern VA. More than 100 miles of the line would run through WV, but several public officials are voicing opposition to the proposed line. Meanwhile, the company is trying to acquire easements from landowners.

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