Jun 29 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Alex Lang The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.


Letters requesting the Public Service Commission to intervene in the PATH case are due by July 13. They can be mailed to the commission at P.O. Box 812, Charleston WV. 25323

There is another proposed new electricity transmission line slated to cut across the state of West Virginia.

The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) line would run from a substation in Putnam County to a new substation in New Market, Md.

The route would cover 224 miles in West Virginia and would pass through several counties, including Preston, Tucker and Barbour, according to a press release from the West Virginia Public Service Commission.

The PATH line is a joint project between Allegheny Power and American Electric Power. It is different from the proposed TrAIL line approved to run from Pennsylvania to Virginia through Monongalia and Preston counties.

The PATH project is waiting on approval from all states before construction begins, said Doug Colafella, manager of External Communications for Allegheny Power. The hope is to have the service line in place by 2014.

If the plan is not completed by 2014, the region could begin to see blackouts and brownouts, Colafella said.

PJM Interconnections is a semigovernment body that oversees the power grid in the eastern United States, Colafella said. PJM told the PSC it needed new transmission lines to meet the increased demand, so the PATH and TrAIL lines were created.

The new transmission line is needed because of an increase in demand for electricity across the country, Colafella said.

Today most homes are larger and have many appliances that require electricity.

"We use much more electricity today than our grandparents did," Colafella said.

Colafella describes the transmission lines and substations as a highway. The transmission line is like the interstate, transmitting high-voltage energy all over the county. The substations are like off-ramps and take the high voltage energy, lower the voltage and send it into community substations which then send it into homes.

One of the biggest concerns over any extended line is the proposed route it would take.

In developing the route, Colafella said PJM held numerous town hall meetings and heard from more than 5,000 residents. They also talked with state and local agencies to create a path for the line that would be least disruptive.

"We came up with a route that would have the least amount of impact on humans, wildlife and the environment," Colafella said.

Much of the PATH line would run next to existing transmission lines, Colafella said.

Last month, an application was filed with the PSC to build the line, Colafella said.

In order to start construction, Colafella said they must show why it is needed and that the proposed route is the best option.

Colafella felts that they met both of these requirements, and he's "hopeful" the PSC will approve the plan.

July 13 is the last day for interventions to file in the PATH case, according to a release from the PSC.

Individuals can send a letter to the PSC or speak at a public hearing on why they feel the PSC should intervene in the case.

(c) 2009, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services