PJM Interconnection is the regional transmission organization (for power) for the mid atlantic states. They manage the wholesale electricity market.
PJM Interconnection called for "more powerlines" because of the so called "energy crisis" and possible future NERC violations by PJM. At first they said the crisis would be in 2014, hence the rush for PATH. However this "date" was calculated by using outdated date from old load forecasts.
In response to this "energy crisis", Allegheny Energy and it's subsidiary (Allegheny Power) teamed up with American Electric Power to propose the PATH project. PATH stands for the Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline. PJM approved the project and now the companies want to run a high voltage power line through VA, MD and WV. Big whoopsy on the power companies part though: because they were using outdated data, the public service commissions of VA, MD and WV are requiring them to use new numbers. These won't be out until 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2010. Conveniently, now PJM is saying that the energy crisis won't hit until around 2016. (Basically, there is no need, this is a scheme for profit only and this time it is once again at the expense of rural Appalachia.)
PATH (Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline) proposes to run a 765 kv high voltage transmission line through 280 miles of rural West Virginia land (mostly through private property). In some places the proposal calls for two 500 kv lines. This will cause anyone living near the lines to be exposed to EMF, or electromagnetic fields. The PATH players hired an "expert witness" to testify that EMF is not harmful, even though research shows that people living near high voltage lines have a greater increase and positive associated risk of severe depression, malignant melanoma, neurodegenerative disease, suicidal tendencies and certain types of leukemia, childhood leukemia, and other cancers. Their "expert witness" Linda Erdreich has been previously criticized for being industry friendly. CLICK HERE for just one example. As an Intervenor on the PATH case, and power of attorney for 106 acres of land in Barbour County, I was permitted to submit discovery questions to Erdreich. Please view the EMF or Electromagnetic Field Exposure tab on the menu bar at the top of this page to see my questions to her, and how the PATH attorneys answered my inquiries. Suffice to say, they really didn't answer anything at all.
American Electric Power has been sued by California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the City of New York for being a global warming polluter (carbon dioxide emissions).
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, have also previously announced plans to sue Allegheny Energy’s for violation of the Clean Air Act (again, because of coal plants and emissions). Allegheny Energy owns one of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation - The Amost Plant, and this is the source of the PATH project.
Despite the Obama Administration's emphasis on "green energy"...these 2 companies have teamed up to run yet another line from a coal plant (and yes..that means more emissions for us and for those of you up north) as a way to tap into the energy grid and reap profit at the expense of West Virginians and apparently the health of the northern states. In order to do this, Allegheny Energy and American Electric must strip away land from private property owners. Why they don't just upgrade the existing lines is anyone guess, but really there is no guesswork required. They just want to reap profit. Here is the thing. The line will from from the AMOS Plant in Putnam County, WV. This is a coal processing/coal fired plant. In 20 years or less, coal will enter a permanent decline. Therefore, other than profit, why should the power companies think about doing anything other than that? I mean, who cares about the residents or the people losing land, the people exposed to EMF, and everyone that has to breathe the coal toxified polluted air. It's all about the money.
The West Virginia Public Service Commission (WV PSC) will vote on whether to declare the "PATH of Destruction" project a "public utility." If the WV PSC declares this a public utitlity, the power companies can exercise eminent domain and ruin the heritage of our state. For my family this means that they will cut our land in half, ruining it forever. It means that my parents will be forced to live under power lines (within 1100 feet). By law, the power companies have to offer "fair compensation." I wonder what the power companies consider "due compensation?" Do they take history and irreplaceable family heritage and permanent destruction of land and mental anguish into account?
Simply paying someone for the land used and not taking into account the overall quality of living and permanent destruction of tangible family history is NOT due compensation. How is that is not a violation of the 5th Amendment?
This is not only an issue for West Virginia. Eminent domain is being abused in many other states as well.
You should be scared.
This can happen to you.
In a nutshell:
PATH will serve to run cheap and dirty electricity to the northern states. WV receives none of this electricity but we will pay for it in our energy bills and by giving up our land. As our governor stated so "eloquently" in his 2010 state of the state address, WV gives it's coal to the nation. However, what this really means is that our mountains are being destroyed by mountain top removal and our water and air is being poisoned. He is apparently proud of this, so I suppose that he would also be proud of running a high voltage line through the state, destroying the scenery, raising the electricity prices for West Virginia, which boasts an already impoverised and lower average income per household when compared to the rest of the nation. As an added bonus, we can have private land yanked away and be forcefully exposed to EMF. The biggest reward of all though, is that West Virginia receives none of the electricity. It is for other states. So once again, West Virginia is being destroyed because companies are exploiting us. Lastly, affected land owners now have to spend valuable time and monetary resources to fight to keep land that was theirs to begin with.
Moreover, the states that PATH will run electricity to do not even want the line. They want to focus on renewable energy or cleaner energy sources because they are downwind of West Virginia and do not want the coal emissions. Their governors have written letters against receiving coal power. PATH is simply a scheme for Allegheny Power and American Electric to rip private land from the hands of rural West Virginians under the disguise of "benefiting the nation" so that they can increase revenue. TrAIL and PATH are ploys for Allegheny Power to make easy money on nonrenewable energy at the expense and health of West Virginia citizens, while the rest of the nation explores and focuses on renewable energy.
West Virginia gets 99 percent of electricity from our own coal mines. West Virginia directly uses the energy produced from our coal mines. WV will not benefit from the PATH project. It takes OUR coal to give cheap electricity to other states. West Virginia Citizens will have to PAY for this financially and by giving up land and by having increased mortality and disease rates. The other states will pay for this as well because PATH will increase coal emissions that everyone else will have to breathe. It affects everyone.
The Obama Administration is a supporter of renewable energy. PATH is a step backward. It does not focus on renewable energy..it will be used for coal.
Read this site to see how rural country people will be screwed by big business and how the landscape will be raped and permanently scarred. The scenic beauty is perhaps the only thing that West Virginia can claim. Big business has decided to take it away.
Opinion: PATH is the beginning of the descent into hell. Citizens of West Virginia, prepare yourself for lies and manipulation of big business. Do not be lured by promises of "more jobs." Instead, I would urge you to question exactly how many long term jobs this would provide and WHERE those jobs will be located. In the beginning it may seem as if many jobs are coming...some of these are temporary and only for the duration of the construction of PATH. Ask: How many PERMANENT jobs there will be after construction and what types of jobs these will be, and WHERE will these jobs be? At last count it was 150 permanent jobs to Fairmont. 150 jobs out of a population of 1,814,468 isn't that many. The PATH line doesn't even run through Fairmont.
My guess is that all of the left over permanent jobs will be in one location...and not anywhere along the PATH proposed route or in counties that have to give up land for PATH. So, if you think about it. A few jobs come in - a bunch of land goes out. Jobs come and go. Land is tangible and stays if we care for it and defend it. Trees are our defense against global warming. If PATH comes in- we break less than even - it isn't worth it. Don't you think it is time that you stand up for yourselves for once and stop listening to political lies and smoke screens and believing everthing you hear just because someone smiles, mentions the word "jobs" and shakes your hand? READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
If I am wrong about the jobs (and I probably am not..sure..there will be proposals and contracts..but what will really happen in the end?)...then you need to decide: Is Wild Wonderful West Virginia to be forsaken for some jobs? Are you willing to give up the land that you love? Life will begin to cease to exist as you know it, the land will change.... and the very reasons that you have chosen to stay and live in West Virginia will be taken from you. After all, you could have moved to the cities. I did, for 15 years..and then I came back. Anyone who has lived here knows that the mountains are a part of us..and now they are being destroyed. Is that a chance you are willing to take?
Protest to Keep PATH out of West Virginia. This is not a burden that West Virginia should have to bear. It is not a necessity.
PJM Interconnection called for "more powerlines" because of the so called "energy crisis" and possible future NERC violations by PJM. At first they said the crisis would be in 2014, hence the rush for PATH. However this "date" was calculated by using outdated date from old load forecasts.
In response to this "energy crisis", Allegheny Energy and it's subsidiary (Allegheny Power) teamed up with American Electric Power to propose the PATH project. PATH stands for the Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline. PJM approved the project and now the companies want to run a high voltage power line through VA, MD and WV. Big whoopsy on the power companies part though: because they were using outdated data, the public service commissions of VA, MD and WV are requiring them to use new numbers. These won't be out until 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2010. Conveniently, now PJM is saying that the energy crisis won't hit until around 2016. (Basically, there is no need, this is a scheme for profit only and this time it is once again at the expense of rural Appalachia.)
PATH (Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline) proposes to run a 765 kv high voltage transmission line through 280 miles of rural West Virginia land (mostly through private property). In some places the proposal calls for two 500 kv lines. This will cause anyone living near the lines to be exposed to EMF, or electromagnetic fields. The PATH players hired an "expert witness" to testify that EMF is not harmful, even though research shows that people living near high voltage lines have a greater increase and positive associated risk of severe depression, malignant melanoma, neurodegenerative disease, suicidal tendencies and certain types of leukemia, childhood leukemia, and other cancers. Their "expert witness" Linda Erdreich has been previously criticized for being industry friendly. CLICK HERE for just one example. As an Intervenor on the PATH case, and power of attorney for 106 acres of land in Barbour County, I was permitted to submit discovery questions to Erdreich. Please view the EMF or Electromagnetic Field Exposure tab on the menu bar at the top of this page to see my questions to her, and how the PATH attorneys answered my inquiries. Suffice to say, they really didn't answer anything at all.
American Electric Power has been sued by California, Connecticut, Iowa, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the City of New York for being a global warming polluter (carbon dioxide emissions).
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, have also previously announced plans to sue Allegheny Energy’s for violation of the Clean Air Act (again, because of coal plants and emissions). Allegheny Energy owns one of the dirtiest coal plants in the nation - The Amost Plant, and this is the source of the PATH project.
Despite the Obama Administration's emphasis on "green energy"...these 2 companies have teamed up to run yet another line from a coal plant (and yes..that means more emissions for us and for those of you up north) as a way to tap into the energy grid and reap profit at the expense of West Virginians and apparently the health of the northern states. In order to do this, Allegheny Energy and American Electric must strip away land from private property owners. Why they don't just upgrade the existing lines is anyone guess, but really there is no guesswork required. They just want to reap profit. Here is the thing. The line will from from the AMOS Plant in Putnam County, WV. This is a coal processing/coal fired plant. In 20 years or less, coal will enter a permanent decline. Therefore, other than profit, why should the power companies think about doing anything other than that? I mean, who cares about the residents or the people losing land, the people exposed to EMF, and everyone that has to breathe the coal toxified polluted air. It's all about the money.
The West Virginia Public Service Commission (WV PSC) will vote on whether to declare the "PATH of Destruction" project a "public utility." If the WV PSC declares this a public utitlity, the power companies can exercise eminent domain and ruin the heritage of our state. For my family this means that they will cut our land in half, ruining it forever. It means that my parents will be forced to live under power lines (within 1100 feet). By law, the power companies have to offer "fair compensation." I wonder what the power companies consider "due compensation?" Do they take history and irreplaceable family heritage and permanent destruction of land and mental anguish into account?
Simply paying someone for the land used and not taking into account the overall quality of living and permanent destruction of tangible family history is NOT due compensation. How is that is not a violation of the 5th Amendment?
This is not only an issue for West Virginia. Eminent domain is being abused in many other states as well.
You should be scared.
This can happen to you.
In a nutshell:
PATH will serve to run cheap and dirty electricity to the northern states. WV receives none of this electricity but we will pay for it in our energy bills and by giving up our land. As our governor stated so "eloquently" in his 2010 state of the state address, WV gives it's coal to the nation. However, what this really means is that our mountains are being destroyed by mountain top removal and our water and air is being poisoned. He is apparently proud of this, so I suppose that he would also be proud of running a high voltage line through the state, destroying the scenery, raising the electricity prices for West Virginia, which boasts an already impoverised and lower average income per household when compared to the rest of the nation. As an added bonus, we can have private land yanked away and be forcefully exposed to EMF. The biggest reward of all though, is that West Virginia receives none of the electricity. It is for other states. So once again, West Virginia is being destroyed because companies are exploiting us. Lastly, affected land owners now have to spend valuable time and monetary resources to fight to keep land that was theirs to begin with.
Moreover, the states that PATH will run electricity to do not even want the line. They want to focus on renewable energy or cleaner energy sources because they are downwind of West Virginia and do not want the coal emissions. Their governors have written letters against receiving coal power. PATH is simply a scheme for Allegheny Power and American Electric to rip private land from the hands of rural West Virginians under the disguise of "benefiting the nation" so that they can increase revenue. TrAIL and PATH are ploys for Allegheny Power to make easy money on nonrenewable energy at the expense and health of West Virginia citizens, while the rest of the nation explores and focuses on renewable energy.
West Virginia gets 99 percent of electricity from our own coal mines. West Virginia directly uses the energy produced from our coal mines. WV will not benefit from the PATH project. It takes OUR coal to give cheap electricity to other states. West Virginia Citizens will have to PAY for this financially and by giving up land and by having increased mortality and disease rates. The other states will pay for this as well because PATH will increase coal emissions that everyone else will have to breathe. It affects everyone.
The Obama Administration is a supporter of renewable energy. PATH is a step backward. It does not focus on renewable energy..it will be used for coal.
Read this site to see how rural country people will be screwed by big business and how the landscape will be raped and permanently scarred. The scenic beauty is perhaps the only thing that West Virginia can claim. Big business has decided to take it away.
Opinion: PATH is the beginning of the descent into hell. Citizens of West Virginia, prepare yourself for lies and manipulation of big business. Do not be lured by promises of "more jobs." Instead, I would urge you to question exactly how many long term jobs this would provide and WHERE those jobs will be located. In the beginning it may seem as if many jobs are coming...some of these are temporary and only for the duration of the construction of PATH. Ask: How many PERMANENT jobs there will be after construction and what types of jobs these will be, and WHERE will these jobs be? At last count it was 150 permanent jobs to Fairmont. 150 jobs out of a population of 1,814,468 isn't that many. The PATH line doesn't even run through Fairmont.
My guess is that all of the left over permanent jobs will be in one location...and not anywhere along the PATH proposed route or in counties that have to give up land for PATH. So, if you think about it. A few jobs come in - a bunch of land goes out. Jobs come and go. Land is tangible and stays if we care for it and defend it. Trees are our defense against global warming. If PATH comes in- we break less than even - it isn't worth it. Don't you think it is time that you stand up for yourselves for once and stop listening to political lies and smoke screens and believing everthing you hear just because someone smiles, mentions the word "jobs" and shakes your hand? READ BETWEEN THE LINES.
If I am wrong about the jobs (and I probably am not..sure..there will be proposals and contracts..but what will really happen in the end?)...then you need to decide: Is Wild Wonderful West Virginia to be forsaken for some jobs? Are you willing to give up the land that you love? Life will begin to cease to exist as you know it, the land will change.... and the very reasons that you have chosen to stay and live in West Virginia will be taken from you. After all, you could have moved to the cities. I did, for 15 years..and then I came back. Anyone who has lived here knows that the mountains are a part of us..and now they are being destroyed. Is that a chance you are willing to take?
Protest to Keep PATH out of West Virginia. This is not a burden that West Virginia should have to bear. It is not a necessity.