Allegheny defends power line plan

Allegheny defends power line plan

	Published : Fri, 04 Jan 2008 22:29 By : Agencies Print this Story

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Responding to questions about the value and necessity of a proposed $1.3 billion power line that would cross several northern West Virginia counties, Allegheny Energy says it would stave off service disruptions and generate economic growth.

PJM Interconnection, the organization responsible for the transmission grid for a 13-state area, warns that without the 500-kilovolt, 240-mile transmission line between Washington County, Pa., and Loudoun County, Va., the stability of the grid and reliable flow of electricity within the region could not be guaranteed.

'This could result in blackouts, voltage disruptions, and brownouts throughout the region, including West Virginia, as soon as 2011,' the Greensburg, Pa.,-based regional energy supplier said in a news release issued Friday.

It also said the line would help to expand markets for West Virginia coal, add 700 temporary construction jobs and spur the potential for new generation projects, including clean-coal technologies.

The company was responding to issues raised by the West Virginia Public Service Commission and its consultants regarding the application by Allegheny subsidiary Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Co. to build the line.

The PSC has scheduled a hearing Wednesday in Charleston concerning the request.

'We are confident our testimony fully addresses the staff's concerns and further supports the new line as the appropriate solution for looming reliability issues on the transmission network,' David E. Flitman, president of Allegheny Power and TrAILCo, said in the news release. 'We believe this new line is the right solution to keep the lights on for years to come.'

Company representatives plan to testify at Wednesday's hearing to the need for the line, the selection of the proposed route and the economic benefits, among other issues.

Consultants hired by the state have urged the PSC to reject Allegheny's proposal.

In documents filed with the PSC, they question whether the line would help West Virginia consumers and suggest the interstate line is not the most cost-effective option for easing potential power outages in the Eastern United States.

The Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line would pass through Monongalia, Preston, Tucker, Grant, Hardy and Hampshire counties and would be built by Allegheny and Dominion Energy of Richmond, Va.