There's more news from the WV4ReliablePower website. Find out what PATH PR agency Charles Ryan Associates is doing with your $2.1 million in "advertising expense".


We need some accountability for how the public's money is being spent.

Because PATH is planned to cross Federal land at Harpers Ferry National Park, the Appalachian Trail and the C & O Canal National Park, an environmental impact statement must be prepared.  Scoping meetings will be held in mid-July and we need everyone to participate in this process. 


The public comment meetings will be held:
July 19, 2010 - 4-8pm - Quality Inn, Harpers Ferry, WV
July 20, 2010 - 4-8pm - Loudoun Valley High School, Purcellville, VA
July 21, 2010 - 4-8pm Tuscarora High School, Frederick, MD
July 22, 2010 - 4-8pm Tucker Co. High School, Davis, WV

If you cannot attend in person and make comment, you may instead submit your comments in writing either via the web here or via U.S. Mail to:


National Park Service
ATTN:  PATH EIS Planning Team
Denver Service Center -- Planning
P.O. Box 25287
Denver, CO  80225

Here in the Eastern Panhandle, these are our local parks -- the ones we visit frequently and the ones we proudly show off to those who come to visit us.  Please help to protect these valuable resources by becoming an active participant in the scoping process.

Calhoun Powerline has a very informative article about the process, what you can do and how important it is that you contribute.

Watch this website and Calhoun Powerline for more information.  If you need help with your comments or have additional questions email [email protected]

Who hasn't asked this question recently?  In addition to two recent Allegheny Energy increases in West Virginia (January and June of 2010) you are probably unaware of the sneaky way the power companies also raise your monthly costs by way of FERC rate recovery and incentives.  These increases to your monthly cost will never be brought before your state's utilities commission and aren't in the press.  These increases were granted by FERC years ago when they approved recovery of power company costs and profit incentives for new transmission lines to be paid for by you.  Now they just happen quietly behind the scenes and leave you scratching your head as to why your bill keeps going up without explanation.


If you're one of the 51 million electric customers in the PJM region, which includes all or portions of West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina and the District of Columbia, are you aware that when you write that monthly check you are reimbursing Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power for all their costs associated with the PATH project?  You're also reimbursing other regional power companies for their costs for the TrAIL project, the Susquehanna-Roseland project and the MAPP project.  Ouch!  If you live in other states, you're reimbursing other power companies for projects in your area -- these new profit-center motivated transmission expansion projects are cropping up all over the U.S., Canada, Great Britian, Australia and other countries.  What a power company application for a particular project in your state may claim will only be a monthly increase of less than a dollar quickly adds up when you consider you are paying for multiple projects.  What doesn't add up is the way the power companies spend generously on "prudent" expenses that they then expense to the transmission project, with virtually no questions asked by FERC.  


See one of PATH's FERC Financial Report submissions here .  This may look like one of those dry, confusing financial report forms you can't understand, but take a look inside -- there are plenty of juicy nuggets to be had, along with a narrative description of how and why you're paying for PATH beginning on page 123 (the FERC form page numbers on the bottom of the page, not the actual document pages).


"In March 2008, the FERC approved an order for PATH-WV to be included in the Open Access Transmission Tariff (OATT) administered by PJM.  The FERC order implemented an annual transmission revenue requirement for PATH WV.  Under this requirement, PATH-WV makes annual filings in order to recover prudently incurred costs (including amortization of the pre-commercial cost regulatory asset) and an allowed return.  An annual rate filing is made for each calendar year using estimated costs, which is used to determine the billings to PJM ratepayers.  The annual rate filing is compared to actual costs with any over or under-recovery being trued-up with interest and refunded or recovered in a future year's rates."


"PATH-WV collected a revenue requirement of $11.6 million for the period March 2008 through December 2008 and recorded an over-recovery of revenues of $5.5 million, including carrying charges, as a regulatory liability as of December 31, 2009.  In June 2009, PATH-WV filed its true-up of the 2008 annual transmission revenue requirement with the FERC.  The $4.5 million over-recovery of revenues, including carrying charges, will be incorporated into the projected 2010 annual transmission revenue requirement."


"PATH LLC, on behalf of PATH-WV, filed its 2009 annual transmission revenue requirement with the FERC and PJM, which established the projected PATH-WV revenue requirement at $15.1 million.  The new rates went into effect in January 2009, subject to refund and true-up.  PATH-WV collected a revenue requirement of $15.1 million for the period January 2009 through December 2009 and recorded an over-recovery of revenues of $4.15 million, including carrying charges, as a regulatory liability as of December 31, 2009."


"In September 2009, PATH LLC, on behalf of PATH-WV, filed its 2010 annual transmission revenue requirement with PJM, which established the projected PATH-WV requirement at $18.1 million.  The new rates went into effect January 2010, subject to refund and true-up."


So, PATH has been collecting an estimate of its costs since March 2008 through PJM, who bills this to your electric service provider (who then passes it on to you).  Just like the IRS, PATH's estimates collect too much, which they will refund to you later.  However, later, when this "refund" kicks in, you'll already be paying even more for subsequent year's bad estimates so you probably won't notice this "refund" in your bill at all.



So, what exactly are they collecting, since no actual construction has begun?  



How about $40,109 in "Donations" in 2009?  Donations to who and for what?  Why is FERC allowing them to "donate" money that comes out of MY electric bill at PATH's discretion?  How about "Certain Civic and Political Activities" in the amount of $169 in 2009 (hey, it wasn't an election year).  Why does FERC permit PATH to make political contributions with your money?



They also collect for the salaries & expenses of AEP & Allegheny employees working on the PATH project, cost to lease office space, office supplies, PATH's legal fees, taxes, the cost of experts and subcontractors for numerous "studies" of dubious worth to you, and many, many other "prudent" costs.  But, here's the real kicker:



"Advertising costs, charged to expense as incurred, includes television, print, radio and internet advertising expense.  For the years ended December 31, 2009 and 2008 advertising expense was $1.7 million and $0.4 million, respectively."



Advertising expense, huh?  That most likely includes the cost of phone surveys and focus groups, Cyveillance and phoney power company-sponsored front groups in addition to all those ads you've seen (including their creation).  Why is FERC allowing PATH to recover the cost of propaganda from the very people who are having the wool pulled over their eyes?  Something just doesn't sound right about that.



Do you now see why your electric bill is so high?  Are some of the "costs" being recovered from you questionable?  Want to do something about it?  Now you can! Send in your RSVP for this "open meeting", attend either in person or over the phone, and ask any questions you like, interested party!  We may have to put up with this crap, but we don't have to like it.  We can only hope that a concerted effort by affected ratepayers to have a voice may get FERC's attention.



To Interested Parties:

In accordance with the formula rate implementation protocols, PATH will host an open meeting among interested parties regarding PATH’s 2010 Annual Update filed for informational purposes with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on June 1, 2010.

Date/Time: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 10 am ET

Location: Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP
2300 N Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20037-1122

To accommodate those who are not able to travel to DC, we are offering a call-in option. The call in number is 202-663-9333; access code 6639120#. To ensure that we have enough phone lines reserved, please RSVP to [email protected]. By sending an RSVP, we can make sure you have any handouts prior to the call.

Should you need further assistance please contact Randall B. Palmer, Assistant General Counsel – Federal and State Regulatory and Chief Compliance Officer, at:
Allegheny Energy, Inc.
800 Cabin Hill Dr.
Greensburg, PA 15601
(724)-838-6894

A delegation from StopPATH WV attended the CAKES Open House in Frederick County, Maryland this morning.  The Open House was designed to provide important information for affected citizens and was set up as a series of activity/information stations.  The CAKES folks did a great job and the event was attended by hundreds of citizens who oppose PATH and its endpoint substation, both staunch opponents and those just finding out about the project and pledging their support.


It was nice to see the CAKES members we have already been working with again, and to meet some of the other folks from their group to share information, strategize, and compare notes.  We look forward to a continued cooperative working relationship as all the PATH opposition groups join forces against their common enemy.


No matter where we travel up and down the proposed PATH of Destruction, we always find committed, knowledgeable kindred spirits and come home with not only new hope and enthusiasm, but new friends as well.

It seems that PATH's citizen opponents in three states now have even more in common than a determination to stop a greed-motivated, unnecessary and destructive corporate initiative.  It seems that many of our PATH opposition websites are being spied on by "The World Leader in Cyber Intelligence", Cyveillance

Since our websites are varied and contain only one common element -- PATH -- it's not a stretch to believe that Cyveillance's clients are PATH partners American Electric Power and Allegheny Energy.

For a fee, Cyveillance will monitor the internet 24/7 and provide to the client:

1)  the combination of people, process and technology that delivers the most advanced and reliable intelligence on company-specific activities.  We monitor the internet around-the-clock for company-specific threats, including:

• Planned boycotts against products and services
• Organized demonstrations
• Planned activities to interrupt business operations and events
• Smear campaigns and dissemination of misinformation
• Threats - including physical threats against employees, corporate officers, facilities and resources
• Solicitations to conspire against the organization

Cyveillance advises, "Keeping abreast of brand-related issues in community networks is now a crucial part of any brand protection strategy.  Left unchecked, many brand-related issues that start small in these social networks can quickly explode into full fledged brand or public relations catastrophes in matter of days."  Oh, the irony!

Last time I checked, this was still America the Beautiful and citizens have every right to express their opinions and peaceably assemble.  We aren't doing anything illegal, shady or wrong  -- au contraire -- we are on the side of right.  Our websites have always been open to anyone who wants information.  No high-priced cyber-spying required!

How does your corporate reputation look now, AEP & Allegheny?  What's next?  Black sedans with tinted windows following me while I pick up my dry-cleaning or Jim Fields (if that is indeed the real name of AE's "corporate security" guy) digging through my garbage cans?  (Bring lots of tape, Jim, I use a shredder).

The citizen opposition groups will not be intimidated.  We're right, we're strong, we're determined, we're backed by the truth and we're not going away.  In fact, like a snowball rolling downhill, we gather more mass everyday.  Allegheny and AEP seem to be their own worst enemies in the court of public opinion.  Perhaps they should try some new tactics for a change, like integrity, honesty and concern for "the little people" whose lives they are destroying?

At the end of the day we're just like you employees of Allegheny and AEP after you leave the office.  We have lives, families, jobs, hobbies, interests, talents, bills to pay, challenges, loves and disappointments.  We're just trying to handle what life throws at us to the best of our abilities.  We're real people.  Corporations and their thirst for the almighty dollar are not.  Quit throwing good money after bad and change your tactics.  Your shady status quo practices are not working for you. 

Article in today's Journal regarding the additional tolling of the case before the PSC.  According to Allegheny's spokesman, it's a matter of when, not if.  Huh?  He trots out this canned comment and then never does say when "when" will be.  Never, perhaps?  Who's on first?  That's almost as good as the old "align the decision dates in all three states" comment.  Allegheny needs some fresh ideas.


Allegheny has also embarked on an ad campaign regarding the issue (!) to compete with StopPATH's ad campaign.  There's about a $million$ differences between the two -- StopPATH is paying for their own advertising while PATH is charging electric ratepayers in 13 states for their ad campaign (and making a 14.3% profit on every dollar they spend).  YOU get to pay to watch or read PATH's commercials/advertisements, doesn't that sound equitable?


Sometimes, you just can't compete.

PATH's attorney's monthly data request filings have hit a new low for inaccuracy.  The PSC staff asked PATH to provide a monthly report on the number and locations of residences needing relocation for the proposed project as well as the number of property owners contacted thus far.  Doesn't sound too hard, does it? 

The reports are sporadic.  Many months have been skipped.

The number of residences is 2 (only one of which is a permanent residence) and a location for these residences has never been divulged.  Why, I've met with two separate landowners of year-round residences right here in Jefferson County in the past five days who were told by PATH land agents "the line is going to go right over the roof of your house".  If the land agent is telling the truth, than Jay Ruberto is lying.  If Ruberto is telling the truth, then the land agents are lying.  Or maybe they're both lying?  Who can tell?

The number of properties identified requiring a right-of-way climbs monthly and now stands at 1,137.  However, this month, the number of landowners contacted thus far dropped by eleven, from 1,111 in May to 1,100 in June.  How did they un-notify 11 landowners?  Were they all named Nell Fenwick and tied to the tracks by Snidely Whiplash or something?  Did they all simultaneously develop amnesia?  What happened to those eleven landowners?

Why is our PSC accepting these illogical answers from parties who should know better while chastising pro se intervenors for their lack of knowledge about PSC procedure?

In the PSC order of June 3, they made a determination regarding  intervenor Tina Rappaport's allegations that PATH landowner packets contain inaccurate and misleading information.  The Commission "does not perceive the information to be misleading", including PATH's statement which, "explains that access to the property will be required to conduct survey work, particularly that preliminary survey work will be needed to prepare the right-of-way agreement,".

I believe the Commission erred on this judgment.  PATH is telling landowners that "access will be required".  Required by whom?  There is absolutely no "requirement" that landowners allow access to PATH or its representatives until such time as they have been granted title to the property through eminent domain procedures.  Your land still belongs to you!  PATH or the PSC cannot "require" you to grant access to anyone!  If PATH representatives tell you they are "required" to access your land for surveys or any other reason, tell them that they are trespassing.

A citizen pointed out recently in a filing on the PATH docket that if PATH land acquisition activities continue with these agressive practices, someone is going to get hurt.  I fear they may be correct.

Jefferson County PATH intervenor Sharon Wilson witnessed what she felt was some hazardous activity with a PATH helicopter in her neighborhood.  Read her email to Governor Manchin about this here.  The Governor forwarded her complaint to the PSC for action.  The PSC said in their June 3 order, "The allegations raised by Ms. Wilson, if accurate, are disturbing. The Applicants as part of its ongoing interaction with its right-of-way agents, should assure that all helicopter and airplane flights associated with line surveys follow all Federal Aviation Administration (Unites States Department of Transportation), and other applicable regulations."

The PSC gives us instructions -- so keep an eye out and a camera handy, folks!  If you witness any activity with the PATH helicopters that have been and will most likely continue to buzz the existing 500/138 kV transmission line corridor, please document it and report it to the FAA.  Get the ID numbers off the helicopter and any pictures or video you can and then call the Hagerstown airport (or other regional airport these helicopters are flying out of) and file a complaint.

That's not necessarily a suggestion -- but you should visit the website of Revolt in the UK.  This organization has been around for years and has quite an extensive website dealing with issues surrounding high voltage transmission lines.