Jim Coatsen, chair of the Morgantown Green Team, briefed Morgantown City Council on Aug. 26 about the Mid-Atlantic Resilience Link, a proposed high-voltage transmission project that would carry electricity from the Ohio Valley toward load centers on the East Coast.
Coatsen told council that the project — developed by NextEra Transmission and discussed inside PJM’s Regional Transmission Expansion planning — could ease transmission bottlenecks and enable more renewable connections, but the public lacks needed data on how the line would change power flows, greenhouse-gas emissions and local impacts.
"If on the other hand, it promotes the use of existing fossil fuel energy, then from a greenhouse gas standpoint, we should oppose that," Coatsen said, arguing that whether the line ultimately lowers or raises emissions depends on which generation is dispatched and who uses the capacity.
Coatsen described route options that could cross Monongalia and Preston counties and flagged potential impacts to public lands including Cooper's Rock, wetlands in Maryland and, he said, a possible crossing of the Appalachian Trail. He highlighted an environmental-justice analysis that shows portions of northern Preston County fall into areas historically burdened by fossil-fuel infrastructure.
The presenter said project cost estimates approach $940 million, likely to rise, and that West Virginia ratepayers could see an estimated $184 million share over 40 years under the current cost-allocation formula. He said NextEra is expected to file detailed route proposals with state utility regulators in the coming months.
Public commenters reinforced the need for rapid civic action. Judy Delagarza, a Morgantown resident, said Potomac Edison has filed a letter of intent covering a Gore/Dowdes/Goose Creek section and urged residents to write to the governor and the state Public Service Commission. "Time is of the essence," Delagarza told council.
Council members asked about timing and who benefits. Coatsen said NextEra proposed an in-service date around 2029 and that permitting, right-of-way acquisition and construction could take several years. He urged the city to review the formal application and consider intervening at the Public Service Commission stage.
The council indicated it would circulate its resolution to the governor and the state Public Service Commission when the PSC docket opens and members encouraged residents to submit comments and participate in the public-review process.
No formal vote was taken on the project at the meeting; the presentation was informational and council discussed next steps for monitoring and possible intervention.