I've lost count of how many times I've asked PATH to quit peeing on my leg and telling me it's raining.  However, they continue to insult everyone's intelligence by doing really stupid stuff and hoping we're too dumb to catch on.

Behold the petition to intervene out-of-time of the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.  Really, fellas?  You have gone so far past ridiculous that I think we're going to have to coin a new word to describe your actions this time.  We'll call it ridicufarce.

Remember the ridicufarce congestion costs argument that someone pulled out of their behind last month? 
That was thoroughly shredded by Robert Fagan of Synapse Energy Economics, the Sierra Club's real expert.

However, the ridicufarce congestion costs are "eyecatching, to say the least" (and I think the less this guy says, the better) to a couple of guys who are now counsel for the Maryland Chamber of Commerce.  Well, guess what?  Your ridicufarce petition has now caught my eye (and sucked away a good portion of my weekend -- thanks a lot, you weasels).  Since the pen is mightier than the sword, and my rapier is at the cleaners, I'll deal with you here... for now.

So, the Maryland Chamber of Commerce wants to intervene in the PATH case all of sudden, do they?  Why now, when the ratepayers have been paying $15,745 per year for PATH's Platinum Corporate Sponsorship of and "membership" in the Chamber since 2009?  (see page 19 of the Formal Challenge)  It's almost like someone just rolled out of bed one morning, shouted, "eureka!", and spawned that ridicufarce idea.

Or maybe it's about PATH's inappropriate lobbying (page 37)?  However, I'm sure it's just a coincidence that when the Maryland Chamber of Commerce was letting their fingers do the walking through the yellow pages to find an attorney to represent them in the PATH case (remember, "eureka!"), they just happened to land on Gordon, Feinblatt, Rothman, Hoffberger and Hollander, right?  And it's an amazing fluke that Gordon Feinblatt appears on PATH's 2009 vendor detail for lobbying expenses, right?  And it's simple serendipity that the two Gordon Feinblatt attorneys who signed the Chamber's petition to intervene, Michael Powell and Todd Chason, appear in the application of PATH-Allegheny paid lobbyists registered to lobby on matters pertaining to Certificate of Need in Maryland, right?

UPDATE:  One of our friends has provided a link to the Maryland Public Service Commission's bidding and award process for the Evaluation of PATH.  These documents indicate that the award for this consulting work to evaluate PATH's application (to include an evaluation of the economics of PATH) went to a company named Slater Consulting.  Where was the MD-PSC's "expert" when Calvin Timmons was getting all excited about PJM's congestion cost evaluation?  Why did the PSC even bother hiring an expert if the Assistant Executive Director of the PSC was going to misuse PJM data to come up with his own inexpert conclusions and ignore Slater?  Could it be that Timmon's information came, not from the PSC's hired expert or PJM, but from those lobbyists who are being paid to lobby on matters pertaining to Certificate of Need in Maryland?  Perhaps someone should look into contact between Timmons, Dean, Powell and Chason.  There's something rotten in Baltimore and the smell could indicate that the Maryland PSC's impartiality has already been tainted beyond repair due to the interference of PATH's paid lobbyists in the process of this case.

Does PATH think that they're smarter than the people of Maryland and their Public Service Commission?  Apparently so.  Quit the ridicufarce, fellas, before someone ends up unemployed, disbarred or in jail.  The Gravy Train you're all riding on is heading full-steam ahead for Three State Citizen Coalition Gorge... and the bridge is out!

Here's a copy of a letter PATH's counsel sent to the Frederick County, Maryland, Planning Commission regarding the Planning Commission meeting they failed to show up for in October, and which the Planning Commission graciously offered to reschedule for Jan. 19.  When faced with the prospect of getting what they asked for, PATH decided they really didn't want to proceed right now after all.  The letter reveals that PATH wants to put this opportunity for a future "re-do" of the Planning Commission process in their pocket until later.  They seem to think that PJM's new numbers will garner them a different result.  Really?  I don't see that happening.  I suspect the delay is to buy them time to do some more lobbying to attempt to influence the processes of the Maryland PSC and local government in Frederick County.

Last week, the MD-PSC staff came out with a motion claiming that PATH will "save money" for the electric customers in Maryland.  What a crock!  The motion talks about "congestion costs" that will be saved once PATH is built.  It completely fails to mention the costs of building the PATH project that are sitting on the other side of the scale.  Do these "congestion costs" cost Maryland electric customers more than building PATH will?  No.  Congestion costs are currently rebated to customers through the PJM Financial Transmission Rights system.  "Congestion costs" cost the power companies money, not the ratepayers.  However, the cost of building PATH will be borne by the ratepayers.  What PATH will do is shift these costs from the power companies onto the backs of ratepayers.

So, where did this PSC staff attorney get this crazy idea to try to push this flim-flam?  Could it have anything to do with PATH's lobbying in Maryland on the issue of Certificate of Need? (see page 38)   Yeah, PATH, we get it ;-)

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.

If there's anyone left in the world who reads this blog that doesn't also read The Power Line, check out Bill's latest post about PATH's front group "reliable power" guys.  Bill questions why these fake grassroots "groups" aren't out there promoting Dominion's Alternative 1, since they're all about:  "A coalition of business and labor groups recently reaffirmed their support for a "reliable" energy transmission grid for the nation -- a position that puts them in favor of two controversial high-voltage line projects in the state." 

So, what's up with that Power to Energy name switch anyhow?  I know Bill chuckles every time he types Power... err Energy.

Back last spring, when these "reliable power" guys were first exposed as the scam they are, it was discovered that none of these "coalitions" were legal entities.  In fact, according to "state coordinator" of West Virginians for Reliable Power (at that time), Bryan Brown, they were "just using that name".  Well, at least that statement was the truth (Bryan is a terrible liar, btw) because while Bryan was uttering it, sitting in my pocket was a WV Secretary of State's Office Business Registration Certificate for the name West Virginians for Reliable Power with my name on it.  Best $15 bucks I ever spent!

When Bryan continued to "just use" my business name and attempted to get media coverage for his "events", it turned out that the news outlets weren't very happy to oblige him when he was illegally using a corporate name that legally belonged to someone else.  That's when Bryan changed his "coalition's" name and began "just using" West Virginians for Reliable Energy. 

Turns out I "just wasn't able to get my corporate registration papers together before the expiration date" and I let the registration expire at the end of August.

Oh, but wait... Bryan came along a month later and bought up a very similar name, the very melodious-sounding West Virginians for Reliable Power, VA.  Just to hedge his bets (because Bryan is such a smart and careful guy) in case someone would come along and buy the very catchy West Virginians for Reliable Energy, VA. out from under him, he reserved that one too.  Seems like Bryan is also having a difficult time getting his corporate registration papers together just like I did.  Uh-huh, Bryan ;-)  Looks like Bryan is about to have his registration expire in February.  Gee, I wonder if someone is going to swoop in and buy it out from under him and rename it something incredibly lyrical like West Virginians for Reliable Power, XYZPDQ.? 

You know, if I couldn't have fun like this, life would really be boring!  Thanks, PATH, for filling my days with non-stop entertainment!  What would I ever do without you?  Group hug?

An amendment recently approved by the New Jersey Assembly has upset the PJM cartel's apple cart and spells more bad news for the hugely unpopular PATH project.  This article and this post on Calhoun Power Line does a great job of explaining what's going on here.  In a nutshell, New Jersey wants to increase subsidies to encourage the building of new generation within its borders.  If New Jersey expanded home-grown generation and produced enough power to meet its own needs, what use is PATH?  New Jersey has said again and again that they don't want or need PATH's dirty coal-fired power.  However, the PJM cartel has consistently backed this project, even to the point of sullying their own reputation with accusations of bias and conflict of interest.  As we've discussed before, PJM is wholly controlled by a few bullies within its ranks, whose corporate profit margins are of the utmost importance, to the detriment of both "reliability" and the wallets of PJM's ratepayers. 

According to the article, PJM is expected to run crying to FERC like a kid whose lollipop has been taken away.  Boo Hoo, boys!  FERC isn't as friendly to your cartel as it once was.  And guess what?  The citizens know your game now!

The article also quotes some whining about rate increases.  These subsidies could cost up to a billion dollars.  What does PATH importing power to New Jersey cost us in rate increases?  More than $2.1 billion!  Continuing to import power instead of generating it within their own borders also has a huge cost that they fail to consider.

Notice also that the whole "jobs" thing gets brought up.  That really doesn't do any favors for the arguments of transmission proponents.    "Opponents said the argument about job creation is a red herring, saying that it will create hundreds of temporary construction jobs, but typically only 20 to 30 people will be needed to run the plants once they are operational."  Precisely!  PATH will create a few temporary jobs (which will be filled in large part by out-of-state technical specialists) and after that, it's over.  It will only take a few people to maintain after its built.

In some of the other articles about what's going on in New Jersey, the word "Enron" gets a mention.  That right there should be enough for pause.  The PJM cartel's focus on energy trading is a dangerous game that has always made little sense.

Way back in 2008, I attended a meeting in Shepherdstown engineered by our now-Senator Joe Manchin.  Joe was annoyed that Patience Wait and I had been dogging him during campaign season for his second term as governor.  In order to shut us up (which failed miserably -- we're still here!) he summoned all his bigwig friends at the power companies to come here and meet with us and a group of citizens we gathered from within the ranks of newly forming citizen opposition groups.  At that meeting, we questioned why the answer to the east coast's electricity shortages were transmission lines from West Virginia.  "We (PJM) can't order new generation, we can only order new transmission."  and "Building of new generation keys off market demand."  Sounded like crap at the time (walked out of there scraping brown, smelly stuff off the bottom of my shoes) and it's still crap.  PJM still "can't order new generation" because, for them, transmission and increasing profits for their most powerful cartel  members is what it's all about.  Enron.  It's the word.