Allegheny Power Transmission Expansion Proposal

The PJM board has approved a five-year program designed to maintain the reliability of the transmission grid in the Mid-Atlantic region. The plan, which was proposed in a regional planning study released by PJM in May, includes construction of approximately 210 miles of 500-kV transmission lines within Allegheny’s service territory.

Specifically, the plan calls for construction of a new 500-kV line extending from southwestern Pennsylvania to West Virginia to northern Virginia. The project has a targeted completion date of 2011. Preliminary cost estimates for Allegheny’s portion of the project and other upgrades are in excess of $850 million.

The initial step in constructing the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL) is to site the line. We are beginning the process of gathering data on land use and environmental constraints, which will allow us to investigate alternatives and plot potential routes.

The company in August hired The Louis Berger Group, Inc., a global engineering and design firm, to plot the best route for the new transmission line, which is expected to cross portions of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Virginia.

Allegheny also signed a contract in September with Burson-Marsteller, a major public relations firm with offices in the U.S. and Canada. Burson-Marsteller will assist the company on a number of fronts, including preparation of materials for the public and conducting research.

A critical step in the siting process is to request public input on possible routes.

We are committed to working with landowners, nearby neighbors and business owners, regulators and local officials to minimize environmental and land-use impacts.

We plan to schedule a full slate of public workshop meetings in November and December in communities along the line’s potential route. Public comment from the meetings will be used to help Berger select a preferred route and alternatives in early 2007.

News Release--Allegheny Energy's Transmission Expansion Plan Receives PJM Approval News Release -- Allegheny Energy's Transmission Expansion Plan Takes Another Step Forward
News Release--Allegheny Energy's Transmission Incentives Approved by FERC Fact Sheet -- Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line
Map--Conceptual Line Route Frequently Asked Questions -- Transmission Expansion Project
High-level Project Schedule  

For more information: Ask TrAIL

The PJM Planning Study

The Regional Transmission Expansion Plan (RTEP) determines the best solutions to expand the electric transmission grid within PJM.

  • The five-year plan calls for construction of construction of approximately 210 miles of new transmission lines within Allegheny’s service territory.
  • Specifically, the plan calls for construction of a new 500-kilovolt (kV) line extending from southwestern Pennsylvania to existing substations at Mt. Storm, W.Va., and Meadow Brook, Va., and continuing east to Dominion Virginia Power’s Loudoun Substation. The plan incorporates portions of Allegheny’s proposal that was submitted to PJM as the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line.
  • A preliminary estimate of Allegheny’s portion of the expansion is in excess of $850 million.
  • Line mileages by state: Maryland—10 miles, Pennsylvania—40 miles, Virginia—40 miles and West Virginia—120 miles.

Benefits of the Project

Benefits of the proposed transmission expansion include:

  • improving system reliability;
  • meeting the growing demand for electricity;
  • increasing west-to-east transfer capability, making cost-effective generation available to more consumers; and
  • economic benefits for West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania, including expanding markets for local coal, more jobs and the potential for new generation projects including clean-coal technologies and renewables, such as wind and hydro.

The Need for Transmission Expansion

  • Throughout the PJM region, the demand for electricity has increased significantly, while the transmission infrastructure has not increased at a proportional pace. This has led to greater reliability risks and higher prices for consumers.
  • Each utility’s transmission system was originally constructed to meet its needs with limited capability to transfer power to neighboring utilities. Now, the combined PJM system serves as an integrated transmission network connecting generators to local distribution systems. Due to the growth in the demand for electricity, additional transmission lines are needed to improve the grid’s reliability and reduce congestion so power can be transferred from where it is generated to where it is needed.

 Regulatory Approvals

  • Approvals will come from the regulatory commissions of states that the line crosses. In addition, approvals from some federal agencies, as well as various state and local authorities may be required to the extent that the line is subject to their jurisdictions.

    Each of the four states where the project will be constructed has a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) requirement. Consequently, Allegheny expects to seek a CPCN from the West Virginia Public Service Commission, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the Maryland Public Service Commission.

  • Also, two separate federal filings were made in regard to the transmission expansion project. In July, Allegheny received approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission on its request for incentive rate treatments. Also, Allegheny has requested that the U.S. Department of Energy designate the project as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor.