What happens when a utility manages to buy approval to build a highly controversial aerial transmission project that could have been buried to avoid the biggest controversy?
It blows up in their face, that's what. And it could end up costing ratepayers millions in increased electric fees.
Dominion spent years trying to permit its Surry-Skiffes Creek transmission line project on 300-foot towers across the James River at Jamestown, Virginia. It agreed to pay out millions in "mitigation" in order to appease opposition (of course, the mitigation will be paid by ratepayers, not Dominion), and it finally got approval. But not all opposition was bought out and the National Parks Conservation Association continued its legal battle against the project while Dominion was busy constructing its monstrosity across the river.
Dominion turned on the power last Thursday.
On Friday, a federal appellate court ordered Dominion's permit to build the project void and returned the case back to a lower court.
Read about it here.
What's about to happen next is anyone's guess. The court could order Dominion to turn off and dismantle the project. Perhaps it will order changes to the project. Either way, the cost of winning a legal permit will fall onto ratepayers.
This is absolutely absurd. And expensive. It probably would have been more cost effective to bury the project across the river in the first instance.
Who's to blame here? Dominion. And grid planner PJM Interconnection, who "ordered" the project in the first place. But who will end up paying for their mistake? Electric customers.
PJM, you've got to go. You're costing electric ratepayers too much money!
It blows up in their face, that's what. And it could end up costing ratepayers millions in increased electric fees.
Dominion spent years trying to permit its Surry-Skiffes Creek transmission line project on 300-foot towers across the James River at Jamestown, Virginia. It agreed to pay out millions in "mitigation" in order to appease opposition (of course, the mitigation will be paid by ratepayers, not Dominion), and it finally got approval. But not all opposition was bought out and the National Parks Conservation Association continued its legal battle against the project while Dominion was busy constructing its monstrosity across the river.
Dominion turned on the power last Thursday.
On Friday, a federal appellate court ordered Dominion's permit to build the project void and returned the case back to a lower court.
Read about it here.
What's about to happen next is anyone's guess. The court could order Dominion to turn off and dismantle the project. Perhaps it will order changes to the project. Either way, the cost of winning a legal permit will fall onto ratepayers.
This is absolutely absurd. And expensive. It probably would have been more cost effective to bury the project across the river in the first instance.
Who's to blame here? Dominion. And grid planner PJM Interconnection, who "ordered" the project in the first place. But who will end up paying for their mistake? Electric customers.
PJM, you've got to go. You're costing electric ratepayers too much money!
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