Grid Manager Halts Development of PATH Transmission Line

Good news! This morning, the regional electric grid manager, Pennsylvania-New-Jersey-Maryland Interconnect (PJM), issued a statement saying that they've ordered development of the PATH transmission line to halt.

(As a reminder, "PATH" is a multi-billion dollar proposal to build a 275-mile long 765-kV transmission line starting at the Amos coal plant in West Virginia, through West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. In Virginia, it would have crossed through Frederick, the tip of Clarke, and Loudoun counties)

The Death Knell for PATH? Time will tell.

PJM cited the results of new tests that had been ordered by the Hearing Examiner assigned to the case by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC). The new tests required PJM to use the most current economic forecasts and Demand Response commitments, as well as incorporate potential new generation resources:

"Preliminary analysis reveals the expected reliability violations that necessitated PATH have moved several years into the future. Based on these latest results, the Board has decided to hold the PATH project in abeyance in its 2011 RTEP. The Board further directs the sponsoring Transmission Owners to suspend current development efforts on the PATH project..." ~Statement of Terry Boston, President and CEO, PJM

This sort of up-to-date, scenario analysis is something that PEC has consistently asked of PJM since 2006. In the PATH case, our push for a better analysis was joined by the SCC staff, allies at Sierra Club, and countless citizen intervenors across three states. Hats off to the Virginia SCC for ordering the additional tests, and to everyone who has stayed involved, written a letter, passed a resolution, spoken at a public hearing or made a donation to support PEC's work on energy and transmission.

Having been involved in a number of transmission line fights over the past 5 years, it's really gratifying to see something go the way it should, versus the way the utility wants. There is always the chance that PATH will reapply, but today is a very good day.

Very Best,

Bri West
Piedmont Environmental Council, Warrenton, Virginia

bwest@pecva.org, 540-347-2334