MD Public Input hearing at North Harford April 27

MD Public Input hearing at North Harford April 27

Make your voice heard!

The Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) wants to hear from you! They have scheduled one public input hearing for Harford County on Saturday April 27 beginning at 11:00 at North Harford High School. Please plan on attending! If you would like to speak, you can tell the commission why you think it is a bad idea to build a brand new high voltage through our community. You don’t have to speak… even your presence sends a message that we stand together on this issue.

To help prepare your thoughts, here are some ideas:

  1. There are two brand new high voltage lines that run parallel to the proposed IEC. They were both built with lines on just one side of the poles… so it is hard to believe that we really have a problem with congestion in our area. And if we did, then they should fill those poles with lines before building anything new. Click HERE to see a map and pictures of those lines.
  2. Do we really think it is worth building new lines here to lower electricity rates in Washington DC? The counties around Washington have 5 of the nation’s 10 richest counties. Nothing else costs less in Washington DC, why should electricity?
  3. Do we really think that it is wise to be building new lines when overall power consumption is flat in MD, and forecasted to stay that way? Click HERE to see a report on electric forecasts in MD, written PJM themselves. See especially page 3, showing flat growth, and page 22 showing PJM’s consistent over-estimation of electricity demand.
  4. BGE has rebuilt many of the high voltage lines in our area, and has plans to rebuild more of them? How is it possible that the new capacity of all of these lines is insufficient when overall power consumption is not increasing?
  5. Maryland utility law (PSC 7-209) requires that utilities consider existing infrastructure. The process developed by PJM is not in compliance with this law because PJM never considered any other alternatives than those that were offered in their Transmission Expansion Advisory Committee (TEAC) process.
  6. New transmission lines should not be built across land that has been agriculturally preserved by Maryland. The state made a deal with these landowners to protect the properties, and violating this trust would seriously erode the ability of the state to reach agreements with future landowners.
  7. There just isn’t much “bang for the buck” in this project. When this case was heard in PA they showed repeatedly that every dollar of savings in DC was met with a dollar of expense somewhere else in the grid, including higher rates totalling between $350 and $500 Million in Pennsylvania alone. And this doesn’t include the nearly $500 Million in rate costs necessary to pay for construction. This is why the agency charged with protecting PA ratepayers, the PA Office of the Consumer Advocate (OCA), has urged that the project be denied “with prejudice.” Click HERE for OCA’s testimony on the financials. Click HERE for more on the latest numbers.
  8. Maryland has resisted calls from the gas industry to drill in Maryland. Why is it fair to MD residents to allow new power lines that carry frack-generated electricity?
  9. This line could have serious effects on farms in our community, including pick-your-own orchards, horseback riding venues, and fertile cropland that has been in family farms for generations.
  10. This project has been considered extensively by professionals in two states. So far, every state agency that has reviewed this project as a member of the case has recommended denying it (PA OCA, MD OPC, MD PPRP, MD PSC Staff), as have numerous editorial boards (York Daily Record, Dispatch, Aegis), environmental organizations, conservation organizations (Harford Land Trust), and every local government entity affected (Harford County Commissioners, Harford County Executive, York County Commissioners, York County Planning Commission, Fawn Township, and all local, state and federal representatives). Not one of these entities has defended this project because it costs too much, saves no money, and doesn’t even consider using the lines we already have available.