Sunday, March 11, 2007, Pittsburgh Press
By Crystal OlaThere's a grassroots campaign under way to stop the construction of a proposed power line that will stretch from Washington and Greene counties through Maryland and West Virginia and into northern Virginia.
The face of the campaign is Rich Yanock, a South Strabane resident who is heading a group to halt the plans of Allegheny Energy Inc. to build a section of Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line. In Washington County, the line would pass through North Strabane, South Strabane, Somerset, West Bethlehem and Amwell.
The 500-kilovolt transmission line also would require the construction of two new substations -- Prexy, to be built in North Strabane, and 502 Junction, to be built in Dunkard, just northeast of Mount Morris in Greene County.
The line and other electric transmission upgrades are expected to cost $1.3 billion. Allegheny Energy's portion will be in excess of $850 million. The project is expected to be completed by 2011.
"I oppose this line," Mr. Yanock told a standing-room-only crowd of more than 300 people during an informal Feb. 28 meeting in Emanuel United Presbyterian Church on Route 519 in Somerset. "I'll tell you the truth, this is wrong ... It's up to us to expose it for what it is, not a national defense issue, but a profit issue."
Mr. Yanock believes the power line will scar the landscape, lower property values and be a detriment to the health and safety of the residents.
He also was at a Feb. 27 meeting of the Somerset Township Board of Supervisors, where more than 100 people attended. Nellie Chester, a resident of the township, said one proposed route would be about three blocks from her home.
She's also opposed to the Prexy substation and having to pay higher bills for a project she doesn't believe will benefit anyone locally.
"I don't want it in my backyard," she said before the meeting. "We're not getting anything out of it."
A final route has yet to be established, although it is expected to be filed with the state Public Utility Commission by the end of March or in early April, said David Neurohr, spokesman for Allegheny Energy. The PUC will hold public hearings on the matter.
The line is part of a five-year regional electric transmission plan approved by PJM Interconnection, which manages electric transmission services of the Mid-Atlantic power grid in 13 states and Washington, D.C.
Allegheny Power's transmission zone is in PJM's region. Dominion Virginia Power will construct the line within its transmission zone. The line in Allegheny Power's zone will be about 210 miles long and the entire line will be 240 miles long.
PJM maintains transmission expansion is needed to address reliability issues. PJM's planning process indicated a new line is necessary to relieve overloading existing West Virginia and Virginia substations.
"Throughout the PJM region, the demand for electricity has increased significantly, while the transmission infrastructure has not increased at a proportional pace," according to the TrAIL Web site.
"Due to the growth in the demand for electricity, additional transmission lines are needed to improve the grid's reliability and reduce congestion so power can be transferred from where it is generated to where it is needed."
Allegheny Energy held open houses last year, including one for Greene and Fayette counties on Dec. 13 and one in Washington County on Dec. 14.
Mr. Neurohr said the open houses are proof that the company isn't doing this without letting anyone know.
"We did them on our own to involve the public, to solicit information from the public and to inform the public," he said.
Mr. Yanock, however, believes Allegheny Energy "dropped the ball on this." Part of his campaign is informing the public about the power line.
"You'd be surprised at the widespread ignorance of this project," he said last week.
Mr. Yanock didn't attend the open house because he wasn't aware of it beforehand. He heard about it after the fact and began meeting with a small group of 10 people or so. The group is planning to develop an official name and find the best legal structure in order to become an entity recognized by the PUC, he said.
Mr. Yanock's first formal step was to ask South Strabane supervisors for an official letter of support.
Township Solicitor Thomas Lonich said the township sent a Jan. 24 letter of protest to the chairman and the president of Allegheny Energy, Inc., the state Public Utility Commission, county commissioners and Amwell supervisors. The township didn't receive a response from Allegheny Energy.
The letter, based on Mr. Yanock's suggestions, stated the supervisors were unanimous in acting on behalf of township citizens in objecting to and protesting the line crossing through the township.
A petition with 24 signatures from a Jan. 9 meeting was included with the letter. The letter also was sent to state Sen. Barry Stout, D-Bentleyville; state Rep. Tim Solobay, D-Canonsburg; U.S. Rep. Tim Murphy, R-Upper St. Clair, and U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter.
Mr. Stout and some other local politicians attended the Feb. 28 meeting, where Mr. Yanock urged the crowd to contact legislators for their support.
"They are the best allies we have," Mr. Yanock said. "As a matter of fact, we're not asking for help, we're begging for help."
The effort has grown from a small group to hundreds of people and is nearing a thousand participants, he said. Petitions are being circulated.
Mr. Yanock and his group are planning to hold an even bigger meeting at a large venue, such as the Washington County Fairgrounds. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for April 5.
Additional information and maps of proposed routes are available at aptrailinfo.com. Mr. Yanock's group also has a Web site, stopaptrail.org
(Crystal Ola is a freelance writer. )
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Sunday, March 25, 2007,
By Lynda Guydon Taylor, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
About 100 people jammed a North Strabane meeting room to object to a power line proposed by Allegheny Energy Inc.
The 500-kilovolt line would pass through parts of Washington and Greene counties to provide power to Northern Virginia suburbs, where there's a huge demand for electricity, South Strabane resident Rich Yanock told supervisors Tuesday.
"I don't know of any line that large," said Mr. Yanock, who is heading a grassroots campaign against the 210-mile line to be built by Allegheny Power, part of the Allegheny Energy system.
The line also involves construction of two substations, Prexy, which would be built in North Strabane, and 502 Junction, to be constructed in Dunkard, northeast of Mount Morris in Greene County.
Two informational meetings are scheduled next month -- one on April 3 at the Bentleyville Fire Hall and another April 5 at the Washington County Fairgrounds.
Among Mr. Yanock's concerns are that the line will scar the landscape, ruin property values and pose health risks. Although he is neither a doctor nor a scientist, he said, all he's read about health risks indicate that further research is necessary.
While a not-in-my-backyard response is typical, Mr. Yanock said "in my opinion, I don't want this line in anybody's backyard."
J.R. Morton, a township resident, echoed that sentiment. Those who look at the maps of the proposed routes of the line on the Allegheny Web site at aptrailinfo.com, and think they are not affected, should think again, Mr. Morton said. There's still a price to pay.
Mr. Yanock said customer rates are expected to increase substantially to allow Allegheny Power to recoup its $820 million cost of building the line.
So far, Washington and Greene County commissioners are opposing it and local legislators have expressed concerns, Mr. Yanock said. Although he said he was not telling North Strabane supervisors what to do, he urged them to look into it carefully. A lot of questions remain to be answered.
Supervisor Brian Spicer said the April 3 meeting, sponsored by Allegheny Power, is expected to identify where the line will go. At that point, residents and public officials should have a better understanding of the project.
Mr. Spicer also said the Public Utility Commission has the ultimate authority to decide about the line.
But Mr. Yanock said don't count on it. He believes Allegheny is prepared to appeal and fight to the end. Furthermore, he cited the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, which allows a PUC decision to be overridden by the federal government to make sure such corridors receive priority treatment. Under the act, the federal Department of Energy can identify areas experiencing electric transmission constraints or congestion.
In addition to information about the line at Allegheny's Web site, there also is data at a Web site, stopaptrail.org, posted by Mr. Yanock's group.
(Lynda Guydon Taylor can be reached at ltaylor@post-gazette.com or 724-746-8813. )
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Tuesday, April 03, 2007, By
Janice Crompton, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Residents in Washington and Greene counties have mounted a campaign to block plans for a new power transmission line through their neighborhoods, saying it will hurt property values and the quality of life without providing any local benefits.
Allegheny Energy Inc. officials, though, say misconceptions about the plan have snowballed and that many residents and municipal officials don't realize the new power line is to transmit power into, not out of, Western Pennsylvania. Allegheny Energy is the parent of Allegheny Power, which provides service to most customers in Washington and Greene counties.
Local, county and state officials have signed petitions against the plan, citing concerns about whether such a line is necessary.
The Greensburg-based company has held 10 open houses to explain its plan for the Trans Allegheny Interstate Line, commonly referred to as TrAIL. The company's last scheduled meeting is set for tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bentleyville Fire Hall in Washington County,
Company officials said they plan to emphasize details they believe have been misunderstood and reasons why they believe the project is needed.
The company wants to build a 240-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line extending from southwestern Pennsylvania to existing substations in West Virginia and ending in northern Virginia. The final 30 miles of the line will be built and controlled by Dominion Virginia Power. Allegheny's portion of the cost is $820 million, while the total project is estimated at about $1.3 billion.
The upgrade was mandated by PJM Interconnection, which manages electric transmission services of the Mid-Atlantic power grid in 13 states and Washington, D.C. The line is part of PJM's five-year regional electric transmission plan, meant to address future energy needs at certain points in the power grid.
Grassroots organizations, including stopthetowers.org, are opposed to the plan, saying the project is a ploy by Allegheny Energy to make profits from outside the region at the expense of local customers.
Residents have also expressed concern over rate hikes, and health and safety issues, and claim the company hasn't done all it could to avoid construction of the new lines, which will be supported by 125-foot towers along 200-foot rights-of-way.
One of the group's organizers, Richard Yanock of South Strabane, said such large lines are over capacity for local demand, and he said the company has not made clear what it's plans are beyond five years.
"We need to understand what the plan is before they put a 500-kilovolt monster into the countryside," he said.
The company intends to submit it's plan to the state Public Utility Commission for approval soon, but even if the state opposes the plan or doesn't approve it within the next year, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gives the federal government the right to intervene with construction permits.
The company claims if the new lines aren't approved, the area could see rolling blackouts and brownouts by 2011 due to a growth rate of about 4 percent in central and northern Washington County. Growth elsewhere in southwestern Pennsylvania averages about 1.5 percent, Allegheny Energy spokesman David Neurohr said.
The size of the current transmission lines, at 138 kilovolts, isn't large enough to accommodate the additional load.
"You can't wait until the well's run dry to figure out where you're going to get your next cup of water," he said.
(Janice Crompton can be reached at jcrompton@post-gazette.com or 724-223-0156. )
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