Capon Valley Coalition

The Capon Valley Coalition is a collection of businesses, organizations and individuals working to promote smart growth in Hampshire and Hardy Counties in Eastern West Virginia by protecting the history, culture, environment and values of the Capon Valley’s rural way of life.

We oppose the TrAIL high-voltage power lines that Allegheny Power proposes to run through our communities.

What is TrAIL? And what is all this talk about new power lines running through Hampshire and Hardy Counties?

It is nothing less than Allegheny Power and its corporate partners, Dominion Power and PJM Interconnection, wanting to use federal and state condemnation powers to run a new high-voltage power transmission line from Mt. Storm to the west of us through our communities east to Loudoun County, Virginia. Allegheny calls the project the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line, or TrAIL. (You can see maps of the proposed routes – and there are many – on the TrAIL Web site at www.aptrailinfo.com or on our “Tools” page, which contains maps as well.)

What’s the problem with TrAIL? And where does the Coalition stand?

The Capon Valley Coalition opposes TrAIL. In particular, we are gravely concerned about the effort by PJM Interconnection, Allegheny Power, and Dominion Power to request early National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor designation in our communities by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Energy. If granted, it could take the power line out of the hands of the residents and property owners in communities along the route.

Why does the Coalition oppose TrAIL?

We oppose this designation for the following reasons:

1. There has not been an adequate consideration of specific alternatives to new transmission lines, including a full range of demand management and peak demand reduction measures; energy conservation measures; and alternative transmission technologies and upgrades.
2. There has not been an assessment of impacts on the environment, a requirement by the National Environmental Policy Act which is reasonable given the demonstrated potential impacts on historic, scenic, natural, and cultural resources in the proposed corridor.
3. Dominion and Allegheny should be required to provide the public with the data and assumptions to enable independent verification of the claimed potential for power disruptions.

Is the electric power Allegheny wants to supply really needed?

The need for condemning our land for these 20-story towers has not been demonstrated. Allegheny Power asserts that there is a need for more power but the process and assumptions they used to arrive at this conclusion have not been transparent and their data have not been independently verified. Even if a need for more power was clearly demonstrated at some point in the future, Allegheny has not proven that additional power needs could not be met through demand management or upgrading existing lines.

Can’t we all just agree on a route, even if it does hurt some at the expense of others?

We do not want to choose one ill-conceived route over another. The alternatives presented by Allegheny are not alternatives at all in that they fail to examine the full range of solutions. The potential use of Federal and state condemnation powers for the proposed Mt. Storm to Loudoun transmission line is unacceptable to those of us who believe in the rights of private property and state rights. There has been no public and transparent study or clear understanding provided that demonstrates why the use of such extraordinary powers is justified.

We have so many power lines running through our counties now. How will one more hurt?

One of the assets on which the counties of the Eastern Panhandle are staking their future is our largely untapped potential to increase tourism and outdoor recreation. Our region’s unspoiled beauty now enjoys spectacular views and abundant wildlife, including rare birds such as the bald and golden eagles.

The transmission line will severely impact very sensitive ecological habitats as well as struggling economic communities which are just now beginning to see a rise in employment and land values because of our beautiful, undeveloped scenic vistas and high quality of life. Also, this area holds the renowned Tuscarora (Blue) Trail. This trail presently traverses a pristine area and is considered a replacement for the now urbanized Appalachian Trail in Northern Virginia.

This area is also known for attracting weekenders and retirees. We’d like to encourage that economic direction as best we can. If the transmission line is built, the resulting depressed property values will start a domino effect, severely hampering the economic advancement Hampshire and Hardy counties are making. The more industrialized and “ugly” the area becomes, the less chance we have of reaching our potential as a tourist and weekend destination.

Our highway 259 corridor has the potential of becoming a scenic highway and a magnet for further residential and tourist business development. Our proximity to dense population centers including Washington, Baltimore, Northern Virginia, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh makes our county and our neighboring counties rare and valuable natural and economic assets. We should not let transmission lines such as this squander the opportunities of our future.