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| 3/12/2008 | Email this article  • Print this article  |
The long-standing battle between homeowners and the electric company has reared its head again with last week's go-ahead decision by the U.S. Department of Energy. Residents from across Washington and Greene counties have been protesting a proposal by Allegheny Power to build a high-voltage power line that will extend from near Mt. Morris in Greene County to North Strabane Township, through West Virginia and into Virginia. The remainder of the 240-mile line would reach across the western part of the United States, including California and Arizona. In its ruling, the Department of Energy has ignored more than 70 requests for re-hearings on the matter. Citizens have cited health risks and the potential to lower property values in their protests against the power line. The state Public Utility Commission will hear testimony during evidentiary hearings about the project, beginning March 24 at the State Office Building in Pittsburgh. The power company contends it needs the line to circumvent electrical supply problems which, studies have shown, could occur within the next five years. A 2005 federal energy law allows for broad clearings of land for such purpose.
There are, certainly, concerns for the overuse of power and feared large-scale black-outs as technology becomes more and more refined and sophisticated in the United States. The energy bill aims to combat this in many ways, including offering tax incentives for new transmission construction and encourages superconducting power lines. That same bill, though, gives tax credits for both residential and companies for wind and solar energy. It is disheartening to hear this latest action taken by a governmental agency. There seems to be no recourse for the many citizens who are legitimately concerned about their health and homes. Many NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard) protest over situations which are less harmful and less disruptive than this project. Many times their fears are heard, with adjustments made to accommodate their requests or concerns. For the most part, though, those projects are conducted by independent companies or contractors and not a governmental-regulated agency, such as the power company. What can the American public do have when their concerns can only be voiced to the same agency they are protesting against? This is a project which has not only already received the stamp of approval from the U.S. Department of Energy, it also has the backing of a federal statue which permits such action. Road blocks have been put up in similar projects. Two years ago, the Maryland Public Service Commission rejected Allegheny Power's application for a new transmission line after the company failed to get input from residents. In this case, residents are speaking up. It's time for the government to start listening.
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