The Baltimore County Council has officially condemned the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP). This proposed 70-mile 500,000-volt transmission line, which would cross through northern Baltimore County and Carroll County before terminating in Frederick County, has stirred considerable concern among county leaders, residents, and local officials.
As previously reported on Conduit Street, the project, led by the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) on behalf of the Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection (PJM), aims to address increasing energy demands but has faced backlash due to its potential to disrupt farmland, historic sites, and residential properties.
During a vote this week, the Council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the $424 million project. The resolution cited the absence of public input and the risk of eminent domain being invoked to seize private properties along the route.
Council Member Wade Kach, whose district would be most affected, introduced the resolution and expressed frustration with the process, calling for alternative routes and greater community involvement in decision-making.
County Executive Olszewski also condemned the project. In a letter to PSEG, he voiced strong opposition to using eminent domain, citing the potential displacement of residents and harm to the County’s agricultural community. He urged PSEG to explore alternative routes that minimize disruptions and protect historic sites while calling for more detailed justification for the project and further community engagement.
Carroll County has also expressed strong opposition, citing concerns about the project’s impact on local communities and the environment. In a joint letter to the PSC last month, Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater and the Frederick County Council denounced the proposal. They advocated for a more transparent, community-driven process.
By the end of 2024, PSEG plans to submit an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (“CPCN”) for the MPRP to the Maryland Public Service Commission (PSC) to allow for eminent domain proceedings against landowners in Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties.
The PSC allows for some county input and review related to the materials submitted as part of the CPCN approval process. Since the PSC does not require detailed engineering and construction plans to be prepared or submitted as part of the CPCN process, a review of detailed plans at the county level must occur after CPCN approval.
Even though this local review may not supersede certain approvals given by the PSC through the CPCN, Baltimore County fully expects PSEG to submit these detailed plans for review for their conformance with the County’s land development and resource laws and policies as part of the County’s development review process.
Stay tuned to Conduit Street for more information.
Read previous Conduit Street coverage on the Piedmont Reliability Project.
