| By Clem Guttata
Yesterday the first public PATH hearings were held in Jefferson County. So far the news coverage is limited. (I expect this will change tomorrow as only one of the three local hearings had occurred before yesterday's news deadline.)
Hans Vogle of WEPM Radio News reported on the first hearing:
The public hearings on the proposed Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline, PATH, will continue in Jefferson County on Wednesday morning before moving to other parts of West Virginia starting next week.
Members of the state Public Service Commission are hearing public comments about the 765 kilovolt power line project ahead of a formal evidentiary hearing which will start in February in Charleston.
About 100 people from Maryland, Virginia and all across West Virginia were on hand for the first public hearing on Tuesday afternoon at the Frank Arts Center at Shepherd University in Shepherdstown.
American Electric Power and Allegheny Energy must be very pleased with MetroNews coverage. The article says the power line will end at "a proposed Kemptown site near New Market", but fails to mention that Maryland rejected the PATH application.
The MetroNews reinforces the "not in my backyard" concerns of residences with this quote:
State Consumer Advocate Byron Harris was on hand to listen. He says a lot of useful comments were made. However, he says, the specific comments about people's homes are especially important.
"You want to make sure all of your information is correct. So those kinds of specific comments are very helpful," Harris said.
What The State Consumer Advocate Should Be Saying
Now, I have no way of knowing what else Byron Harris might have said. This is just one single quote in what may have been a much longer interview. But... if this quote is in any way representative of the State Consumer Advocate's primary concerns, we have a big problem.
The State Consumer Advocate seems interested only in whether or not individual property owners are justly compensated for a loss of property value. That's a very narrow concern--one that AEP and Allegheny Energy will just throw more rate-payer money at.
The real issue the State Consumer Advocate should be concerned about is if all of the consumer is the state--each and every one of us--need this power line or not. What compelling public interest does this power line meet?
Concerns about PATH
From what I've read about PATH, there are a number of legitimate concerns the Public Service Commission needs to take serious consideration of in decided if this project should be approved at all. The more people who raise these concerns in public meetings, the more seriously the PSC will consider them:
* Is it necessary? Since the PATH project was originally envisioned major changes have occurred in the East Coast electricity market. Some of these changes are cyclical--the recession dramatically reduced demand for electricity. Other changes are structural--nationally, we have made major investments in efficiency; much of that demand will never return. Even more important for this project the states to the East of W.Va. are making commitments to cleaner energy sources. The demand for electricity from the coal plants near the start of PATH is dropping and will continue to drop.
* How will it benefit West Virginia consumers? The power companies have provided no compelling rationale for how this power line will help West Virginia consumers. They have no evidence it will help with power line congestion or reliability. They do have strong evidence that it will increase the cost of our electricity. As a West Virginia rate payer, I think that's a really raw deal.
* Is PATH safe? See Susquehanna-Roseland Line Could Force School Closure for links to the latest science scientific evidence on long-term exposure to strong electromagnetic fields.
Finally, the State Consumer Advocate also wants to hear from individual property owners about their concerns about how the project will impact them. Be aware, though, this will do nothing to stop PATH from being built.
If you make enough noise about the value of, say, timber on your property the best you can hope for is the line will move elsewhere. If you believe PATH is unnecessary and not in the public interest, make that your first argument to the Public Service Commission, the State Consumer Advocate, the Governor, and your state representatives.
For More Information:
An indispensable source of PATH information is: The Power Line.
The Shepardstown Chronicle deserves kudos for recent coverage PEAT forms to voice PATH need and Photos of Gov. Manchin's visit to Shepherdstown
Ken Ward, Jr. at Coal Tattoo has been all over it, too... most recently with PATH Power Line Bring on the Public Hearings. |
