PATH filed an amended motion in Virginia today asking that it be allowed to withdraw its application. PATH has acknowledged that PJM (the regional organization that blesses all such projects) has started making new need forecasts based on better information, and has already concluded that PATH will NOT be needed in 2014!

Here’s a link to the amended motion, so you can read it for yourselves:
http://calhounpowerline.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/pathamendmotionwithdraw.pdf

The SCC hearing examiner is held oral arguments on Dec. 30 and expects to make his recommendation (on whether or not the Commission should allow PATH to withdraw and how) in early January. A decision from the full Commission would follow soon after.

What does this mean for PATH in West Virginia?

IF Virginia either dismisses the application or allows PATH to withdraw it, then one would think the WV application would have to be withdrawn, too. After all, in the current design there’s no way to get from West Virginia to Maryland without crossing Virginia. And if they try to reconfigure the route to avoid Virginia, (a) they might very well have to file a new application anyhow, since it would be such a significant change, and (b) they’d have a VERY hard time arguing the project is needed in these two states when they already acknowledged in Virginia that it’s not needed. But stranger things have happened …

Anyhow, it’s very possible that we’ll know the Virginia SCC’s decision in the next few days. Don’t know if we can find out before New Year’s Day, but perhaps early next week.

Keep your fingers crossed and your prayers flowing!

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 30th, 2009 at 8:15 pm and is filed under Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.