For years, state Sen. Barry Stout has helped launch highway infrastructure projects – from a dedicated exit at Southpointe to expanding the Mon Valley Expressway and the Southern Beltway – to ensure that traffic flows smoothly on Western Pennsylvania roads.

On Monday, Stout, D-Bentleyville, was among several people who met at Consol Energy headquarters in Southpointe to make a pitch for another type of infrastructure he said is equally vital for the continued economic progress of the region.

Stout and several business leaders who are members of Pennsylvanians for Reliable Energy, a coalition of industry, business, labor and community groups, stressed the need to enhance and secure the reliability of energy infrastructure.

The coalition supports electric grid improvement projects such as the collaborative agreement between Allegheny Energy and Washington County stakeholders that was filed in July with the state Public Utility Commission.

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The group, which includes the state Office of Consumer Advocate and the Office of Trial Staff for the PUC, along with a local citizens’ group, had been working for the past six months to come up with an equitable solution to address increased energy needs in Washington County. The county objected to the initial proposal for a new power station and 500-kilovolt power line.

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Allegheny Power and Greene County commissioners came up with an agreement of their own last year that called for the county to support a power station and 1.2-mile power line in Dunkard, called the 502 Junction, in exchange for return of easements to property owners, abandonment of the 36-mile line plan, and a $750,000 payment to the county’s general fund.

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Reports the Observer-Reporter:

The company said it needs the substation, which it will build at a former Foundation Coal shaft site, and a new 2.2-mile, 138-kilovolt transmission line to supply the mine and to ensure system reliability and future growth.
The company also asked for final approval; however, the commission tabled the request until the company addresses several requirements needed for final approval.

Though the commission did not address the siting of the 138-kilovolt power line, which is now under review by the state Public Utility Commission, one resident whose property the line is proposed to cross did speak of it.

Necessary to meet the growing demand for electricity in the Mid-Atlantic region, the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line will be built from Southwest Pennsylvnia, extending to West Virginia, and onto Northern Virginia.

The 1.2-mile segment will extend south from the new 502 Junction substation in Greene County to the West Virginia border. This segment is the starting point of the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL), a 215-mile project that will traverse parts of West Virginia and extend into northern Virginia.

“We commend the Pennsylvania Commission for its decision,” said Paul J. Evanson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Allegheny Energy. “The construction of this line is essential to ensure the reliable flow of electricity throughout the region. We will work diligently to complete the project on budget and on schedule.”

As requested by TrAILCo, the Pennsylvania Commission has deferred its decision on a proposed 36-mile segment of the line extending north from the 502 Junction substation into central Washington County. This section was designed to address local reliability issues. TrAILCo will now enter into a collaborative process to identify potential alternatives to resolve local reliability issues anticipated to occur in Washington County by 2009. The Commission also approved a related settlement agreement between TrAILCo and Greene County that proposed the collaborative process.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission and the Public Service Commission of West Virginia earlier authorized construction of TrAIL, pending approval in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Commission will issue a final order at a later date.

TrAILCo will continue its pre-construction activities, such as right-of-way acquisition, permitting and engineering activities, in all three states. The construction phase will last about two-and-a-half years, with TrAIL targeted for completion by June 2011.

Allegheny Energy
Headquartered in Greensburg, Pa., Allegheny Energy is an investor-owned electric utility with total annual revenues of over $3 billion and more than 4,000 employees. The company owns and operates generating facilities and delivers low-cost, reliable electric service to approximately 1.6 million customers in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia. For more information, visit our Web site at www.alleghenyenergy.com.

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.