Pennsylvania Approves Power Line Link

Yesterday's approval by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission of one segment of the TrAILCo and Dominion Virginia Power application to build a 240-mile transmission to end in southern Loudoun County brings Dominion closer to a green light to build its section of the line in Virginia.

Three of the four Pennsylvania commissioners approved the Junction 502 substation and a 1.2-mile portion of the total 40-mile section in Pennsylvania that would connect to the West Virginia and Virginia portions of the line. The commissioners did not approve the remainder of the Pennsylvania line from Prexy to Junction 502, instead staying any decision until after a collaborative process involving all parties and interests involved in the application.

Vice Chairman Tyrone J. Christy, in a dissenting vote, said, "It is painfully apparent from the record that TrAILCo did not come close to meeting its burden of proof," in its requirement to demonstrate a public need for the need for the line and whether the proposed route was the best alternative.

Christy's dissent concurred with the findings of two Pennsylvania administrative law judges in late summer, who recommended denial of the application to the utilities commission.

The high-voltage line is planned to extend from western Pennsylvania through Junction 502 to a substation in West Virginia and thence to the Meadowbrook substation in Frederick County, where Dominion would pick up the project to extend the line from Meadowbrook to the Loudoun South substation near Arcola.

The decision was an important victory for Dominion because the Virginia State Corporation Commission, which approved the Virginia segment of the line last month, tied its approval to similar findings from the utility commissions of both West Virginia and Pennsylvania. Both those commissions have now approved the project.

Ostensibly, with all three states having given approval, Dominion is free to proceed with construction of its part of the line. Dominion Media Relations Manager Le-Ha Anderson said this week that once the final orders were received from Pennsylvania, she understood Dominion could go ahead with its plans.

Anderson said once the company receives the final orders from both states they will file them with the SCC. In practical terms, she said the company would start on that part of the project where "we don't need additional rights of way," in the Loudoun and Prince William counties area.

But, according to Piedmont Environmental Council representative Brie West, the final order from the West Virginia commission is still outstanding because of a condition imposed by the commission as part of its approval, which TrAILCo opposed.

In its conditional approval, the West Virginia body required Allegheny Power to install an upgrade known as a Static VAR Compensator at the Meadowbrook substation. That upgrade, which controls the flow of electricity over the wires, could cost the power company upwards of $40 million. Allegheny Power has appealed that decision and is asking for reconsideration, according to the PEC representative.

The Virginia section of the line between the Meadowbrook and Arcola substations is approximately 64 miles, and the line would enter Loudoun from the south.

PEC has filed intent to appeal the line, claiming the SCC's approval was erroneous.

The line has caused an outcry among federal, state and local politicians as well as landowners, many of whose land will be condemned, for the negative impact they say the line will cause to a high number of cultural, scenic and historic resources in the region.