The Winchester Star, October 8, 2008

by Drew Houff

93-mile section of high-voltage power line OK’d by SCC

Richmond — The Virginia State Corporation Commission gave its blessing Tuesday to a high-voltage power line that would travel across Northern Virginia.

Commissioners Mark C. Christie, Judith Williams Jagdmann, and Preston C. Shannon endorsed the two Virginia sections of the 500-kilovolt transmission line, a joint project of Dominion Virginia Power and the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co., a subsidiary of Pennsylvania-based Allegheny Energy.

The SCC action is the latest step in approval for the 240-mile project, which would stretch from Washington County in Pennsylvania through West Virginia and into Virginia, stopping in Loudoun County.

The 93-mile portion in Virginia would enter Frederick County at the Virginia-West Virginia border, connect to the Meadow Brook electrical substation south of Stephens City, and then travel through Warren County and on to a substation in Loudoun County.

The portion of the line through Frederick County and into Warren County would be operated by Allegheny, while the remainder of the Virginia line would belong to Dominion.

The SCC’s approval of the project is contingent upon similar approval in Pennsylvania. In August, two administrative law judges recommended that the line not be allowed there, but the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has yet to rule on the project.

In an effort to win approval in Pennsylvania, Allegheny asked that the transmission line be considered separately from another more controversial project that would provide local electricity service in the southwestern part of the state. In Allegheny’s original request, the two projects were tied together.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission agreed to consider the utility projects individually, but has not ruled on the multi-state transmission line.

West Virginia’s Public Service Commission approved that state’s portion of the project in August.

The TrAIL project is viewed as necessary by Allegheny and Dominion — as well as PJM Interconnection, which oversees the Mid-Atlantic power grid — to avoid rolling blackouts in the Mid-Atlantic region as early as 2011 due to growing electrical demand in Northern Virginia.

The wait on a decision from Pennsylvania has delayed any work to install the line, said Jim Norvelle, director of media relations for Richmond-based Dominion.

“You can’t start construction until Pennsylvania decides, and the administrative law judges were very negative [about the original request],” he said. “We feel confident that the commission in Pennsylvania will support Allegheny’s application.”

Christopher G. Miller, president of the Warrenton-based Piedmont Environmental Council that opposes the transmission line, remains hopeful that the project will not be approved by all of the state officials.

In a telephone interview Tuesday, Miller said that even the SCC’s Shannon had reservations about the project.

Shannon, a retired commissioner recalled for this case, questioned the transfer and management of transmission assets to PJM, saying that it places many restrictions on Virginia’s sovereign authority over its public utilities.

Miller said Shannon also noted how federal policies put in place by Congress and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also affect Virginia by limiting what state officials can do to provide lower-cost electricity service.

“In my judgment, the mandate that Virginia electric utilities join a federally-regulated [regional transmission entity] such as PJM has not served Virginia well,” Shannon wrote in the decision. “PJM, by definition, performs regional planning and regional operations while trying to maintain generation neutrality. As a result, PJM procedures could prevent critical generation, needed in Virginia, from being implemented on a timely basis.”

Miller said the Piedmont Environmental Council argues that PJM does not support the best interests of Virginia.

He said the hope is that the state Legislature and government officials will find such moves unacceptable and take actions to prevent the line’s implementation.

“We have some time before we have to file an appeal — and I am certain we will be filing an appeal,” Miller said.

An official from Allegheny said Tuesday’s ruling by the SCC is another step toward handling growing power needs.

“After an extensive public review, the Virginia Commission has determined that TrAIL is critical to the continued flow of reliable electricity throughout the Mid-Atlantic region,” said Paul J. Evanson, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Allegheny, in a company-issued statement.

He added that a decision from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is expected before the end of the year.