8.08.08 Release: Power Coalition Lauds West Virginia’s Approval of Multi-State Power Line

Says PA and Nation should follow this example to prevent future blackouts

Pittsburgh, PA (August 14, 2008) – Pennsylvanians for Reliable power applauds the West Virginia Public Service Commission (PSC) for today approving the construction of a 120 mile transmission line in their state, which will provide electric reliability in West Virginia and the Northeastern region of the country.

The approved West Virginia line is a segment of the same multi-state line that has been proposed to cross through parts of Greene and Washington Counties in Western Pennsylvania. A Pittsburgh judge’s recommendation on the line, followed by an official Pennsylvania Utility Commission decision will be made on Pennsylvania’s segment of the line sometime later this year.  

A coalition comprised of industry, business and labor groups; Pennsylvanians for Reliable Power has spent the last several months educating the public and policymakers on the need to conserve energy, build new power plants, implement new energy technologies and update power lines. The group stresses that only all four things will prevent our looming energy crisis.

“Our coalition recognizes that the thought of a power line running through the state may not be politically popular at first. However, the fact is that if our electric infrastructure is not updated soon, our businesses and our economy will suffer greatly in the future,” said Joe Kirk, executive director of the Mon Valley Progress Council. “I don’t think that those opposed to this project truly understand that in the near future we face likelihood of brownouts that would impact residents in the area and could result cutbacks and temporary business closures.  We need this project to be economically competitive. ”   

Chris Reinbold, senior vice president of ABB Incorporated explained that our state’s electric infrastructure is aging and soon will not be able to stand up to the growing demand for energy. Experts, such as the U.S. Department of Energy, have concluded that if new power lines are not built Pennsylvania could suffer blackouts as early as 2012.

Pennsylvanians for Reliable Power says it’s reassuring to see that policymakers in West Virginia are taking a proactive approach in solving our future electric reliability problems. Our state, and the entire nation, needs to follow West Virginia’s lead in approving such projects to prevent serious problems in the future.

Pennsylvanians for Reliable Power is a diverse coalition of concerned industry, labor and community groups formed to educate the community on the future of energy reliability in the state.  A complete list of coalition members is provided on the following page. For additional information, or to join the coalition, visit www.forreliablepower.org/penn.php.