(July 7, 2016) Though the public comment portion of the process finished Wednesday, Public Service Commission officials confirmed comments might still be considered, at the judge’s discretion, before rendering a ruling on Delmarva Power’s request to upgrade its lines on the lower Eastern Shore.
The company is seeking, as part of routine upgrades to it6s regional transmission lines, to replace the 69-kilovolt line installed in the 1940s with new infrastructure that will carry both the 69 kilovolt circuits and a 138 kilovolt circuit.
The utility would accomplish this by doubling the number of wires on the lines that connect the Piney Grove substation in Wicomico to the Kenney substation near Snow Hill and running that line down to the Wattsville substation in Virginia.
To run that many wires, Delmarva Power spokesman Matt Likovitch said the existing poles would need to be replaced. Also, the new lines, because of more modern safety protocols, will be taller than the existing infrastructure.
Likovitch’s statements reflect the company’s preferred option for the project — simply replace what’s already there.
But as part of the process, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources got involved, and asked the company to provide other choices and to allow the public to comment on them before a judge rules in favor of one option or another.
The utility offered a few variations on the layout of the towers, and an option for running the lines underground.
First, the utility states in a fact sheet that Delmarva Power customers — along with co-op and municipal utilities in Delaware and Virginia — are going to pay for the new infrastructure. The lines will carry more power, the new towers are more resilient against strong winds and the infrastructure overall is old.
Replacing the towers, in any configuration, is going to cost customers about $45 million according to company estimates.
“Based on 1,000 kilowatts of usage per month, the cost will be about 24 cents per customer per bill,” Jaclyn Canther, manager of transmission planning for the utility said.
Should the judge rule to bury the lines, the cost of the project would double to an estimated $87 million. The resulting pass-through cost to customers would just about double as well, to something less than 60 cents per month, according to estimates, Canther said.
Originally announced to end July 1 the public comment timeline was extended to July 6 during last week’s meeting. Two meetings were held soliciting comment at this stage, one in Snow Hill last week and another in Salisbury. There was little to no public participation in either, Likovitch said.
The utility also held its own public information sessions about the project earlier this year.
At this point, only written submissions containing a clear opinion on the project might be considered if delivered quickly enough.
Comments should be addressed to David Collins, executive secretary, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.
The company is seeking, as part of routine upgrades to it6s regional transmission lines, to replace the 69-kilovolt line installed in the 1940s with new infrastructure that will carry both the 69 kilovolt circuits and a 138 kilovolt circuit.
The utility would accomplish this by doubling the number of wires on the lines that connect the Piney Grove substation in Wicomico to the Kenney substation near Snow Hill and running that line down to the Wattsville substation in Virginia.
To run that many wires, Delmarva Power spokesman Matt Likovitch said the existing poles would need to be replaced. Also, the new lines, because of more modern safety protocols, will be taller than the existing infrastructure.
Likovitch’s statements reflect the company’s preferred option for the project — simply replace what’s already there.
But as part of the process, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources got involved, and asked the company to provide other choices and to allow the public to comment on them before a judge rules in favor of one option or another.
The utility offered a few variations on the layout of the towers, and an option for running the lines underground.
First, the utility states in a fact sheet that Delmarva Power customers — along with co-op and municipal utilities in Delaware and Virginia — are going to pay for the new infrastructure. The lines will carry more power, the new towers are more resilient against strong winds and the infrastructure overall is old.
Replacing the towers, in any configuration, is going to cost customers about $45 million according to company estimates.
“Based on 1,000 kilowatts of usage per month, the cost will be about 24 cents per customer per bill,” Jaclyn Canther, manager of transmission planning for the utility said.
Should the judge rule to bury the lines, the cost of the project would double to an estimated $87 million. The resulting pass-through cost to customers would just about double as well, to something less than 60 cents per month, according to estimates, Canther said.
Originally announced to end July 1 the public comment timeline was extended to July 6 during last week’s meeting. Two meetings were held soliciting comment at this stage, one in Snow Hill last week and another in Salisbury. There was little to no public participation in either, Likovitch said.
The utility also held its own public information sessions about the project earlier this year.
At this point, only written submissions containing a clear opinion on the project might be considered if delivered quickly enough.
Comments should be addressed to David Collins, executive secretary, Maryland Public Service Commission, William Donald Schaefer Tower, 6 Paul Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202.