Lawmakers question benefits of new transmission lines for West Virginia ratepayers

On Tuesday, some lawmakers heard presentations of transmission line projects, but they said they got no real answers when asking if these lines would benefit West Virginia.

“My biggest concerns about these transmission lines are that they’re going to cost West Virginia electric ratepayers money but bring very few benefits to the state,” Delegate Evan Hansen said.

The big project lawmakers had questions on was the MARL project, which would stretch from Pennsylvania to Virginia, going through West Virginia, but in the maps, no substations were in West Virginia, meaning power wouldn’t be distributed anywhere in the state.

“I’m not against the transmission lines but if they’re not going to benefit West Virginians, rate payers, because the math they provided us seemed like everything was going over to Loudoun County, Virginia and why should the rate payers of West Virginia pay for that transmission line to benefit Virginia,” Senator Rupie Phillips said.

Phillips said he wants to see more economic development coming into the state, but this may not be the way to do it.

“You lose voltage in distance so, to me if they really wanted to save and I want to say burn less coal you think they burn, build stuff really close to the power plants so they wouldn’t have to put all that extra burn, extra energy in the power line for to lose it at the end of the rope,” he said.

When lawmakers asked if ratepayers would be paying for the lines, the company was not able to provide an answer. Leaving both parties skeptical.

“There was an analysis done independently last year that calculated $440 million of increased costs on our electric bills in West Virginia due to two of those transmission lines,” Delegate Hansen said.

People representing the companies said West Virginia would still see benefits, because it would strengthen the overall stability of the grid.

“If it was in front of me today to vote West Virginia out of PJM, I would do it. I’ve had at least six to eight delegates and a couple senators come up to me and say hey you put a bill in and we’ll go with it,” Senator Phillips said.

Another issue Delegate Hansen mentioned is that these lines travel across majority private property. He said Monongalia County commission and others along the path of these lines have formally come out against the proposal.