Baltimore Gas & Electric (BGE) wants to replace a transmission line buried underneath a river with an overhead line on five new towers in the water over a 2 mile crossing.
What? This is insane! The line was buried in the first place in the 1970's -- out of sight and out of mind -- and not obstructing river traffic.
BGE says building an overhead line causes less damage to the environment (well, unless visual pollution is your thing). The new overhead line will run adjacent to the bridge, but be much taller than the bridge, necessitating huge marker balls on the line and flashing lights. BGE also says having new towers on the water will have LESS impacts to waterway activities in the shipping channel. Now, you're really pulling my leg, right? Having no obstruction on the water is more impactful than having to navigate around 5 new towers in perpetuity? But, wait, it doesn't stop there... an overhead line will be cheaper for ratepayers. Ahhh, now we're getting somewhere, aren't we? And, get this, an overhead line will provide more jobs... as if the purpose of building new transmission is simply to provide jobs. I'm guessing BGE isn't going to be picking up day labor in the local WalMart parking lot, but will be hiring specialized contractors to build this monstrosity who will import their own employees to the job site for the duration of construction.
Are people supposed to believe this taradiddle? I think I might have gotten dumber while watching BGE's 7-minute video about this backwards project.
What? This is insane! The line was buried in the first place in the 1970's -- out of sight and out of mind -- and not obstructing river traffic.
BGE says building an overhead line causes less damage to the environment (well, unless visual pollution is your thing). The new overhead line will run adjacent to the bridge, but be much taller than the bridge, necessitating huge marker balls on the line and flashing lights. BGE also says having new towers on the water will have LESS impacts to waterway activities in the shipping channel. Now, you're really pulling my leg, right? Having no obstruction on the water is more impactful than having to navigate around 5 new towers in perpetuity? But, wait, it doesn't stop there... an overhead line will be cheaper for ratepayers. Ahhh, now we're getting somewhere, aren't we? And, get this, an overhead line will provide more jobs... as if the purpose of building new transmission is simply to provide jobs. I'm guessing BGE isn't going to be picking up day labor in the local WalMart parking lot, but will be hiring specialized contractors to build this monstrosity who will import their own employees to the job site for the duration of construction.
Are people supposed to believe this taradiddle? I think I might have gotten dumber while watching BGE's 7-minute video about this backwards project.
It's all about "reliability" don't ya know? Because having an aerial transmission line crossing a river and exposed to the elements and accident is so much more "reliable" than one buried under the river.
BGE says it bought off environmental groups by promising "oyster beds on tower foundations." And it has promised to build a "wetland habitat" at an adjacent community so those folks don't object too much. The cost of this boodle ends up in your electric bill, BGE isn't spending its own money on these things. BGE merely adds it to the cost of the project and then earns a healthy return on it for years. Seems like this project is "key" to BGE's profits.
In this day and age we ought to be burying new projects, not replacing buried projects with overhead ones. What a dumb idea!
BGE says it bought off environmental groups by promising "oyster beds on tower foundations." And it has promised to build a "wetland habitat" at an adjacent community so those folks don't object too much. The cost of this boodle ends up in your electric bill, BGE isn't spending its own money on these things. BGE merely adds it to the cost of the project and then earns a healthy return on it for years. Seems like this project is "key" to BGE's profits.
In this day and age we ought to be burying new projects, not replacing buried projects with overhead ones. What a dumb idea!
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