Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House rejects amendment that would have given counties veto over overhead transmission lines
Summary
Delegates debated an amendment to House Bill 829 to bar the Public Service Commission from issuing CPCNs for overhead transmission lines until every affected county's governing body approved construction; the House rejected the amendment after extensive floor debate about local control, statewide energy needs and legal precedent.
An amendment to House Bill 829 that would have required the governing body of each county (including Baltimore City) to approve construction of any portion of an overhead transmission line before the Public Service Commission (PSC) could issue a certificate of public convenience and necessity (CPCN) was rejected after lengthy floor debate.
The amendmentsponsor framed it as a local-control measure intended to protect landowners and preserved farmland from having major transmission infrastructure imposed on them without their approval. Supporters described the amendment as a necessary check after projects such as the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project and TransSource proposals prompted intense local opposition.
Opponents, including the floor leader, said the amendment would give…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
