Capon Valley Coalition

Here’s the latest from Gov. Joe “If I change my mind often enough, maybe no one will notice who bought me last” Manchin.

It comes to us from AP via TimesWV.com today:

CHARLESTON — Gov. Joe Manchin wants more information before taking a position on Allegheny Energy’s plan to build a 240-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line through West Virginia.

Manchin wants to know how much state’s ratepayers would have to pay to support the line that would serve portions of the Eastern seaboard and whether the rates can be reduced.

He also wants assurances that landowners would receive fair compensation for property located along the line’s route. And he wonders whether the project would increase the state’s tax base.

“Is there an upside?” he asked. “At this stage, I cannot be in favor of something unless I see that it has some benefit to our state.

“I’m still looking to see what the benefits of this project are.”

Governors in Pennsylvania and Virginia already are on record opposing the project and objecting to federal rules that threaten to usurp a state’s power to approve or reject Allegheny’s plan by allowing the company to appeal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission for another outcome.

Though West Virginia has not officially challenged the federal government’s authority to overrule state regulatory agencies, Manchin says he opposes “takings” by the federal government and wants to make sure the federal government does not trample on the state’s sovereignty.

“I haven’t seen all the facts,” he said. “At this stage, we haven’t seen a benefit.”

The state Public Service Commission plans to conduct evidentiary hearings in January to gather more information about the project before making a decision on Allegheny’s plans.

The PSC plans to hold hearings in Kingwood and Charleston this week to solicit public comment on the project.

Allegheny is asking for a 1.2 percent rate increase — about 90 cents per month for 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity — to help finance construction of the line.

Perhaps if we make it simple enough for you, governor, you’ll finally get it: West Virginia taxpayers are going to pay higher electric rates and have their property and communities degraded by monstrous power lines so that people living in places like Philadelphia and Delaware and the Washington suburbs can have cheap electricity without having to put a power plant in their neighborhood. It is no more complicated than that. Period.

And, governor, a lot of us in the Capon Valley are paying attention. We’re not all idiots, and we will remember.