Here's an article in the The Intermountain published yesterday. Dominion's Alternative One is being backed by West Virginians who are urging the WV-PSC to support the plan. The staff of the WV-PSC is already backing Dominion's Alternative One, which was part of their reasoning in their December motion to dismiss or toll the PATH case. Dominion's Alternative One will rebuild existing transmission lines to modernize them and increase their capacity. Half of this alternative has already been approved by both PJM and the WV-PSC, and construction is scheduled to begin this spring in the Eastern Panhandle with rebuilding of the current Mt. Storm-Doubs line which runs through southern Jefferson County.
Dominion's Alternative One requires NO new rights-of way and costs a mere one-third of the current estimate of the PATH project. This is the sensible alternative that meets both PJM's "need" and protects the property rights, health and welfare of the citizens of West Virginia. We should all support Dominion's Alternative One!
Try not to laugh too hard at Allegheny's lil' Coal Fella. He's spinning so hard in that article, if he'd become untethered in the process, he may have shot off into space. Let's see... what's the silliest thing he said:
1. PJM "ordered" them to build PATH. They continue to hide behind PJM as some sort of impartial electrical deity when we all know that Allegheny begged PJM to create a "need" for their project and that PJM has been accused of bias and conflict of interest for their stubborn support of PATH that flies in the face of all logical reason.
2. Existing transmission lines "connect communities". High-voltage transmission lines serve one purpose in West Virginia and that's to export electricity to states on the East Coast. West Virginia exports 80% of the electricity it produces. The "communities" connected by transmission lines are our power plants and East Coast cities.
3. PATH is "needed" and the inservice date shifted because of the recession. No, PATH's inservice date keeps being shifted further out into the future because the companies cannot prove a "need" for it and have to keep going back to the drawing table at PJM to come up with new numbers that only end up shredded by experts again. It's a vicious circular cycle that is holding residents of three states hostage at the whim of an out-of-state corporate profit initiative.
4. "Most" of the PATH line would run parallel to existing lines - 45%. Since when is 45% considered "most". It's less than half, not more than half. "Most" is defined as the majority, not the minority.
5. He's trying to insinuate that PATH's taking of 224 miles of new right-of-way in West Virginia is somehow minimized by running parallel with existing lines for this 45% of its course. He even tries to minimize the other 55% of the line that will not parallel existing lines. New rights-of-way are new rights-of-way. They take land from West Virginians and ruin property for current and future use and enjoyment. They lower taxes and place a higher burden on the rest of the taxpayers to fund necessary services. This is true whether they parallel existing lines or not.
In his closing there is one thing the lil' Coal Fella got right, "It's really all about investing in our electrical grid," he said. "We've gone decades without any major upgrades. Rebuilding these lines is a good idea."
Yes, rebuilding these lines is a good idea! Now put your money where your mouth is, Coal Fella, and join us in our support of Dominion's Alternative One and give up on Allegheny's loser PATH project.
Dominion's Alternative One requires NO new rights-of way and costs a mere one-third of the current estimate of the PATH project. This is the sensible alternative that meets both PJM's "need" and protects the property rights, health and welfare of the citizens of West Virginia. We should all support Dominion's Alternative One!
Try not to laugh too hard at Allegheny's lil' Coal Fella. He's spinning so hard in that article, if he'd become untethered in the process, he may have shot off into space. Let's see... what's the silliest thing he said:
1. PJM "ordered" them to build PATH. They continue to hide behind PJM as some sort of impartial electrical deity when we all know that Allegheny begged PJM to create a "need" for their project and that PJM has been accused of bias and conflict of interest for their stubborn support of PATH that flies in the face of all logical reason.
2. Existing transmission lines "connect communities". High-voltage transmission lines serve one purpose in West Virginia and that's to export electricity to states on the East Coast. West Virginia exports 80% of the electricity it produces. The "communities" connected by transmission lines are our power plants and East Coast cities.
3. PATH is "needed" and the inservice date shifted because of the recession. No, PATH's inservice date keeps being shifted further out into the future because the companies cannot prove a "need" for it and have to keep going back to the drawing table at PJM to come up with new numbers that only end up shredded by experts again. It's a vicious circular cycle that is holding residents of three states hostage at the whim of an out-of-state corporate profit initiative.
4. "Most" of the PATH line would run parallel to existing lines - 45%. Since when is 45% considered "most". It's less than half, not more than half. "Most" is defined as the majority, not the minority.
5. He's trying to insinuate that PATH's taking of 224 miles of new right-of-way in West Virginia is somehow minimized by running parallel with existing lines for this 45% of its course. He even tries to minimize the other 55% of the line that will not parallel existing lines. New rights-of-way are new rights-of-way. They take land from West Virginians and ruin property for current and future use and enjoyment. They lower taxes and place a higher burden on the rest of the taxpayers to fund necessary services. This is true whether they parallel existing lines or not.
In his closing there is one thing the lil' Coal Fella got right, "It's really all about investing in our electrical grid," he said. "We've gone decades without any major upgrades. Rebuilding these lines is a good idea."
Yes, rebuilding these lines is a good idea! Now put your money where your mouth is, Coal Fella, and join us in our support of Dominion's Alternative One and give up on Allegheny's loser PATH project.
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