---------[ Received Mail Content ]----------

Subject : Fwd: Allegheny Transmission Line intervention

Date : Thu, 28 Jun 2007 09:48:55 -0400

From : "Paul Wilson" <pjgrunt@gmail.com>

To : "Paul Wilson" <pjgrunt@lycos.com>

From: Erin.Chalmers@sierraclub.org

Date: Jun 27, 2007 8:09 PM

Subject: Allegheny Transmission Line intervention

To: william.depaulo@gmail.com, pjgrunt@gmail.com, kgrubb@fairmontstate.edu,

jkotcon@wvu.edu





Hi Bill and all,

On behalf of the national Sierra Club, the WV chapter has authorization to
!
intervene in the PSC hearing in the Allegheny transmission line case. It

looks like a great issue and I'm glad the chapter is taking it on!



I think this case presents many opportunities and also some difficult

issues. You all are obviously already working with other chapters and

groups on the larger issue, but to the extent I can be of assistance in

getting resources, please let me know. For instance, I may be able to find

testimony from other PSC hearings that addresses the true costs of coal or

potential rate savings from efficiency. In terms of issues, my concern on

this case is mostly financial - as you well know, the chapter will have to

decide how much it can put into the case and plan accordingly. Bill has

generously offered to carry out this case on a reduced fee basis. My

understanding from talking with Bill today is that he expects the chapter to

make good faith e! fforts to raise funds to pay for part of his time but that

ther e is no specific fee cap or arrangement. Because you are a chapter

member, Bill, I'm sure you'll work closely with Karen and others to make

sure they understand how much time you are putting in and how much payment

you expect.



I bring this up just because I have seen similarly lax fee arrangements go

awry in other cases, and I don't want any surprises for the chapter or for

Bill down the road. So I strongly encourage Karen and the chapter to work

very closely with Bill and to make sure he is comfortable with what the

chapter is raising for funds for him. The new matter form I received noted

that $5000 would be allotted to legal expenses - I don't believe this was

expected to be a fee cap of any sort, but rather just an estimate of

possible and reasonable costs that the chapter would fund as needed. Again,

I expect that Karen and Bill, and others, will work out their expectations
as to paying for Bill's time. An little work now in terms of figuring out

your funding expectations is worth it to avoid big headaches later. I have

seen big fights in chapters over fee issues and just want to make sure that

doesn't happen here.



As another reminder, any settlement (which doesn't seem likely at this

point) would require separate national authorization. Also, please keep me

informed of any major developments in the case and feel free to ask if you

have any questions I might be able to help with.

Best of luck and thanks for your hard work on this issue!

thanks,

Erin



Erin Chalmers

Environmental Law Fellow

Sierra Club Environmental Law Program

85 Second St., 2nd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 977-5765 phone

(415) 977-5793 fax