There will be some celebrating going on in New Jersey tonight after the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities adopted the recommendation of one of its administrative law judges and denied the transmission application of JCP&L this morning. JCP&L, a FirstEnergy affiliate, had filed an application to build an insane transmission proposal inside a commuter rail right-of-way and just feet from thousands of homes. It called its project the Monmouth County Reliability Project. As if it was ever about "reliability."
Although one news outlet called today's decision "stunning" and claimed "State boards often approve such requests from utility companies. Friday's unanimous rejection by the New Jersey BPU was stunning to many who follow energy markets and the energy industry," it's not at all surprising to transmission opposition leaders.
Today's victory is the just result of hard work and determination by Residents Against Giant Electric (RAGE). RAGE completely owns and deserves this victory! I'm not sure when I've ever seen a citizens group work so hard and so cohesively toward a common goal. They are an inspiration to transmission opponents everywhere! Although they'll never get back the two years and half a million dollars they spent in pursuit of their goal, they achieved something invaluable -- a sense of community and the knowledge that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. The next generation who watched their parents wage this battle will grow into adulthood with the knowledge that they can win if they stand up and fight.
Today's rejection of JCP&L's plan is not only a defeat for FirstEnergy, but also a rejection of PJM Interconnection's planning process. PJM insisted the project was needed, and even provided witnesses to support it. JCP&L continually hid behind PJM and used PJM's claims of need like a shield to deflect criticism. Perhaps that's why the industry might be so "stunned." Does the industry believe if they can coerce PJM to work a transmission project into its regional transmission expansion plan that will ensure the approval of state utility regulators? It doesn't. Not even. The only and final judge of whether a transmission proposal gets built is the state utility regulator, not PJM. The days of state utility regulators following meekly in PJM's footsteps are over. PJM has been wrong, dead wrong, about numerous transmission proposals that found their way into its regional plan. MCRP is just another to add to the growing list. And you know how that old story goes about the boy who cried "wolf?" At what point will PJM's credibility about transmission planning tank completely? The more unneeded transmission projects PJM orders and continues to support, even in the face of better alternatives, the more damage it does to its credibility. Pull yourself out of the gutter, PJM, and start doing your job impartially and with the best interests of electric consumers in mind, instead of the financial interests of your utility members.
Bravo to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for being brave enough to agree that, yes, the emperor is naked. PJM is a paper tiger. PJM's endorsement of a transmission project is not proof of its necessity. The BPU is a shining example for other state regulatory commissions that may be faced with other PJM-ordered projects that are unnecessarily costly and damaging to the citizens they serve.
The citizens saved the day in New Jersey. They didn't wait for someone else to act, they didn't hope that someone else would represent their interests, they didn't bank on someone else providing the funds necessary to wage this war. In this case, the citizens found that the someone who could stop this project resided within each one of them. Congratulations, RAGE!
Although one news outlet called today's decision "stunning" and claimed "State boards often approve such requests from utility companies. Friday's unanimous rejection by the New Jersey BPU was stunning to many who follow energy markets and the energy industry," it's not at all surprising to transmission opposition leaders.
Today's victory is the just result of hard work and determination by Residents Against Giant Electric (RAGE). RAGE completely owns and deserves this victory! I'm not sure when I've ever seen a citizens group work so hard and so cohesively toward a common goal. They are an inspiration to transmission opponents everywhere! Although they'll never get back the two years and half a million dollars they spent in pursuit of their goal, they achieved something invaluable -- a sense of community and the knowledge that a small group of committed individuals can change the world. The next generation who watched their parents wage this battle will grow into adulthood with the knowledge that they can win if they stand up and fight.
Today's rejection of JCP&L's plan is not only a defeat for FirstEnergy, but also a rejection of PJM Interconnection's planning process. PJM insisted the project was needed, and even provided witnesses to support it. JCP&L continually hid behind PJM and used PJM's claims of need like a shield to deflect criticism. Perhaps that's why the industry might be so "stunned." Does the industry believe if they can coerce PJM to work a transmission project into its regional transmission expansion plan that will ensure the approval of state utility regulators? It doesn't. Not even. The only and final judge of whether a transmission proposal gets built is the state utility regulator, not PJM. The days of state utility regulators following meekly in PJM's footsteps are over. PJM has been wrong, dead wrong, about numerous transmission proposals that found their way into its regional plan. MCRP is just another to add to the growing list. And you know how that old story goes about the boy who cried "wolf?" At what point will PJM's credibility about transmission planning tank completely? The more unneeded transmission projects PJM orders and continues to support, even in the face of better alternatives, the more damage it does to its credibility. Pull yourself out of the gutter, PJM, and start doing your job impartially and with the best interests of electric consumers in mind, instead of the financial interests of your utility members.
Bravo to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities for being brave enough to agree that, yes, the emperor is naked. PJM is a paper tiger. PJM's endorsement of a transmission project is not proof of its necessity. The BPU is a shining example for other state regulatory commissions that may be faced with other PJM-ordered projects that are unnecessarily costly and damaging to the citizens they serve.
The citizens saved the day in New Jersey. They didn't wait for someone else to act, they didn't hope that someone else would represent their interests, they didn't bank on someone else providing the funds necessary to wage this war. In this case, the citizens found that the someone who could stop this project resided within each one of them. Congratulations, RAGE!
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