Legislators In Frederick County To Hold Forum On Proposed Electric Transmission Line

The developer of the project, PSEC, invited to attend.(Photo from Public Service Enterprise Group website)Frederick, Md (KM) Citizens are invited to attend a forum on the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. It’s scheduled for Wednesday, July 31st from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at the Linganore High School auditorium. It’s sponsored by   Frederick County’s  District Four legislative delegation.The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project is a nearly 70-mile long    transmission line which extends from northern Baltimore County to Carroll County and southern Frederick County. The company which plans to build the line, the  Public Service Enterprise Group, says it won a contract from PJM, the region’s grid manger, to construct the 500-kilovolt line. It says the line is needed to meet the growing power demands  of the region.PSEC has not submitted an application before the Maryland Public Service Commission to build this line.Several public information sessions on the proposed line were held recently  by PSEC  in all three counties.   Delegate Jesse Pippy says a lot of residents who attended these events came away more frustrated then when they went in. “And when they went to the sessions they were not permitted to speak up. The questions that they were asking had to submitted in private. They couldn’t ask questions out loud. They were not about to get sufficient answers,” he said.”They felt that the event was organized in a way to really not give them an opportunity .to share their concerns or ask questions,” he said.Delegate Pippy says he’s heard a lot from his constituents about this project. “Well, the constituents are angry, and rightly so,” he says. “There has been mention of eminent domain which adds insult to injury. But also there was relatively little notice.”A citizen speaking before the County Council was concerned PSEC would use eminent domain to take her property and other properties  to build the transmission line.Pippy says he hopes the forum scheduled for July 31st will provide residents with more information, and answer many of their questions.He says the PSC and PSEC have been invited to attend. “I’m hoping that PSEC participates, and I’m hoping that they show up to answer questions,” says Pippy. “And I’m going to make sure   that the Public Service Commission is 100 percent aware of how the public actually feels.”By Kevin McManus