New 230 mile long-haul electricity transmission line set to run through Charles and Calvert.
The Mid-Atlantic region has begun to reach the limit of it’s existing power supply. Area companies who generate and distribute electricity are scrambling to increase this supply. One answer, for Washington, D.C.-based Pepco Holdings, Inc. (PHI) is a new power grid bringing additional supplies of electricity to its service area from generating stations further away.
Last month, PHI received approval for it’s proposal to build a 230-mile interstate power line into an area they describe as “one of the most heavily congested regions of the country. The 500-kilovolt Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) will connect Northern Virginia to Maryland, then cross the Delmarva Peninsula to link with the southern New Jersey power grid.
“MAPP is necessary not only for the well-being of the Mid-Atlantic region’s power grid, but also for every jurisdiction along the line,” said William Gausman, PHI Vice President of Asset Management.
The go-ahead granted by PJM Interconnection, operator of the Mid-Atlantic power grid, allows Pepco to start lining up the vast quantity of permits and environmental reviews the $1 billion project requires.
“Our careful planning will include significant community involvement,” said Gausman in a recent statement. “We look forward to working with communities during the design, permitting and siting processes to ensure that the construction of MAPP protects the environment and minimizes disruption to residents and businesses along the route.”
Last week, Pepco held the project’s first Charles County public information meeting at the Waldorf Holiday Inn. The calm public response indicated that the project might be relatively non-controversial for county residents.
Pepco indicated that it will use the area’s existing high-voltage towers; thus eliminating the usual need to deforest great swaths of land when new towers are built in an area. Creating MAPP will simply mean hanging more high-tension lines around and above those already secured to the towers. The Pepco statement says construction plans also “incorporate environmentally responsible construction techniques.”
Evidently, the new grid will have no “drops” in Charles County. However, it may touch ground in Calvert and Prince George’s Counties before continuing eastward. MAPP will be constructed in phases over a seven-year timetable. Local businesses hope to have a hand constructing the line through the area.
“This new transmission line is part of the answer to meet the region’s electricity needs. We must also continue to stress the importance of energy conservation and environmentally-responsible new power generation to ensure that the region has a reliable supply of electricity,” said Gausman.
PHI delivers electricity and natural gas to roughly 1.9 million customers in Delaware, D.C., Maryland, New Jersey and Virginia. The company projects that demand for power during peak usage times in its service area will increase nearly
