TOWSON, Md. — All seven Baltimore County Councilmembers are cosponsoring a resolution to push back against a contentious power line project.
The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project includes 70 miles of proposed transmission lines through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Counties. Members of the local legislative body penned a resolution to "[encourage] the Maryland Public Service Commission to reject the MPRP."
In the resolution, the council said is opposing the plan, in part, because of its 'potential to harm Baltimore County farms, wetlands, streams, homes and residents.'
"A lot of citizens are voicing their concerns, and they're worried," said Julian Jones, a representative for the fourth council district. Jones told WMAR the proposed line would travel through some of his district.
"We wanted to just ask the Public Service Commission and everyone, to be more respectful of the citizens and try to come up with a better plan," Jones said.
On Friday, Public Service Enterprise Group, the utility behind the project, released its proposed route, extending from Parkton to Frederick.
READ MORE: Maryland's Piedmont Reliability Project proposes 70 mile long, 150 foot wide transmission line route
PSEG says Maryland does not produce enough energy in-state, and needs infrastructure upgrades.
"The additional import capability supported by the construction of the MPRP will help Maryland avoid growing their energy deficit, and thereby easing grid congestion and preventing grid overload, which can also benefit both energy affordability and reliability in the state. More transmission is needed to keep energy costs competitive and reduce the risk of rolling blackouts," the company said in a Friday news release.
County lawmakers tell WMAR they are sensitive to those needs, but they hope for another solution.
This summer, folks in Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Counties packed comment sessions on the project, worried about what it could do to the local landscape, properties, and the possibility of using eminent domain. A few months ago, one company rep told WMAR it does not intend to use that option.
RELATED: Fighting the lines of power
"Ultimately, the Public Service Commission has to make the decision on how they'll deal with this," Mike Ertel, a councilmember, told WMAR, "But we wanted to send the message that we're with the people, especially of northern Baltimore County, that there has to be a better way to do this."
The project must still go through public comments, permitting and regulatory processes before its June 2027 operating goal. The company said it has analyzed more than 5,000 comments.
Three new public comment sessions were scheduled as PSEG released the project's proposed route:
Baltimore County: Tuesday, November 12, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Embassy Suites by Hilton 213 International Circle, Hunt Valley, MD
Carroll County: Wednesday, November 13, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Carroll County Agricultural Center 706 Agricultural Center Dr., Westminster, MD
Frederick County: Thursday, November 14, 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. New Market District Volunteer Fire Company 76 W Main Street, New Market, MD
To learn more about the proposed route, click here.
