StopPATH WV

Allegheny Energy will be holding an open meeting for interested parties regarding PATH’s 2010 Annual Update filed for informational purposes with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 1, 2010 in the offices of one of their attorneys in DC this Wednesday, July 14 at 10 a.m.  A copy of the meeting announcement is below. Randy Palmer, Allegheny's general counsel, has informed Patience Wait in response to her meeting RSVP via email that citizens - that's us! - can attend the meeting, but we must provide our names by 10 a.m. tomorrow (for security purposes). Several representatives from WV, VA and MD citizen groups are planning on attending this meeting in person. If you'd like to go - either with us or meeting us there - you MUST RSVP to Palmer before 10 a.m. on July 13.  If you cannot attend in person, you may attend via phone (instructions are in the meeting announcement).  Meeting materials are currently unavailable on PJM's website -- please ask Palmer for a copy when you send in your RSVP.  See this post for a link to another copy of the financial information that is the subject of this meeting. The citizens who are making the trip to DC for this meeting ask that you support us by taking advantage of the call-in option and asking questions (or simply listening in).  Allegheny Energy is spending YOUR money -- let them know that you are paying attention! 
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From PJM's website, here's the meeting notice:
To Interested Parties:
 
In accordance with the formula rate implementation protocols, PATH will host an open meeting among interested parties regarding PATH’s 2010 Annual Update filed for informational purposes with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 1, 2010.
 
Date/Time: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 10 am ET
 
Location: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
2300 N Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20037-1122
 
To accommodate those who are not able to travel to DC, we are offering a call-in option. The call in number is 202-663-9333; access code 6639120#. To ensure that we have enough phone lines reserved, please RSVP to rpalmer@alleghenyenergy.com. By sending an RSVP, we can make sure you have any handouts prior to the call.
 
Should you need further assistance please contact Randall B. Palmer, Assistant General Counsel – Federal and State Regulatory and Chief Compliance Officer, at:
 
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
800 Cabin Hill Dr.
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724)-838-6894

Article in today's Journal.


New reporter Matt Armstrong does a great job!  Join us in welcoming him to Charles Town and The Journal.

There has been a lot of concern about EMF levels surrounding transmission lines lately -- and this is one of our main objections to PATH.  The testimony of Professor Martin Blank is enough to make any parent lose sleep over what they may unwittingly be exposing their children to. If you currently have a high-voltage transmission line crossing your property (as many in PATH's current "preferred corridor" do), do you know the strength of its EMF?  Would you like to find out?


Several Jefferson County residents have recently made requests to Allegheny Power to have EMF measurements taken on their properties along the current 138kV/500kV contiguous rights-of-way in the Summit Point/Charles Town area.  This service is free and can be arranged by calling 1-800-255-3443 and making an official request. The property owner will receive a .pdf map of their property with EMF measurements noted.


With the recent heat wave hitting our area, you're going to get some maximum readings right about now!  One citizen had a reading of 292mG underneath the lines on her property recently (Professor Blank recommends levels less than 4mG for prolonged exposure).


If you take advantage of this service, contact us with your results and we'll add you to the map we're creating showing levels across the county.


Obviously, if you have a transmission line on your property that is not owned by Allegheny Power, do not call them, they're going to tell you to go fly a kite (remember, never fly kites around power lines -- it's just unsafe!)

According to the power companies, PATH was ordered by PJM.   Their hands are tied.  They are just doing as ordered by PJM.  Blame continually shifts to PJM as an "authority" tasked with maintaining grid reliability.  PJM pretends that its planning is "transparent" and for the good of the electricity-slurping public.  Here's a little transparent history of PJM, Allegheny & AEP's little scheme to enrich themselves by opening new markets for coal-fired electricity at the expense of PJM ratepayers:

We all know about Project Mountaineer, PJM's 2005 plan to increase west-east transfer of coal-fired electricity by 5,000 MW.  Project Mountaineer was hatched after Allegheny Energy, American Electric Power and other Ohio Valley coal-dependent generators joined PJM in the early 2000s.  Was there a scheme for these power companies to enrich themselves with the help of PJM's "transparent planning process" while PJM received the benefit of increasing its footprint?  Seems that way to me.

See Allegheny Energy's 2006 plan for the TrAIL line, which was conceived as a much different project than is now being built.  Their original plan was to include a segment to Bedington (Berkeley Co., WV) which would tie with a segment from Bedington to Kemptown, where they would build a new substation.  This part of the plan was carried over to the PATH project, and PATH was expanded to give a little gravy to AEP by feeding from their John Amos plant and increasing the planned capacity to utilize AEP's 765kV technology.  

In Allegheny's plan, "As conceived, Project Mountaineer would consist of one or more transmission system reinforcement projects to enhance the west-to-east transfer capability of the entire PJM Transmission System.  PJM envisioned its independent planning process, known at the Regional Transmission Expansion Planning Protocol as the vehicle for identifying a comprehensive plan for Project  Mountaineer."

So, the RTEP is nothing more than a "vehicle" to advance Project Mountaineer -- it has nothing to do with actual need, reliability or planning for the stability of the grid. The RTEP is a means to accomplish Allegheny's financial goals.

Allegheny used PJM's "vehicle" to propose a new transmission project completely in the AP (Allegheny Power) Zone, which would give them all the control and all the profits.

"Following PJM's announcement of Project Mountaineer, Allegheny Power (AP), a transmission owner within the PJM Region, began reviewing various transmission system enhancement opportunities within the AP Zone that would provide significant increases in the west-to-east transfer capability within the entire PJM Region and could be incorporated into PJM's Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP)".

Allegheny approached PJM with the "opportunity" for inclusion in the "vehicle".  It's not about increasing electrical demand, blackouts or congestion.  It's about increasing energy company profits and expanding PJM's footprint.