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Resident urges Monongalia County to consider intervening in NextEra transmission-line filing
Summary
Juliet Marlier told the Monongalia County Commission that portions of NextEra Energy’s filing with the Public Service Commission are confidential to intervenors, that the estimated project cost rose from about $440 million to roughly $1.16 billion, and she urged the county to investigate becoming an intervenor. Commissioners said they will discuss the matter at staff reports and explore legal representation.
Juliet Marlier, a Morgantown resident, urged the Monongalia County Commission on March 4 to investigate NextEra Energy’s proposed transmission line and to consider becoming an intervenor in the company’s Public Service Commission (PSC) filing. “The price has gone up from the original $440 million to about $1.16 billion,” Marlier said, and she said parts of the application are confidential to intervenors, making it difficult for property owners to learn details without intervening.
Why it matters: If the county intervenes, it and its counsel would be able to view confidential portions of the filing and participate formally in PSC proceedings, which could affect routing, easements and local impacts. Marlier said she found an “alternative route” listed that appears to cross her property and that land-agent communications on her case have stalled.
Commission response: Commissioners said citizens and local advocacy groups have been monitoring the application and that some counties and organized groups have already sought intervenor status. The clerk read an email from Judy Delgarzo of West Virginiaians Against Transmission Line Injustice highlighting four concerns raised by residents: the reported cost increase, the lack of an accessible updated route map for property owners, the siting corridor width (noted in filings as 200–500 feet and possibly expanding to 715 feet with aerial easement blowouts), and a request that Monongalia County consider intervening.
Officials cautioned that intervening typically requires legal support and that many state law firms are already engaged in related matters; commissioners said they would discuss the possibility, potential costs and legal options at a staff meeting on Friday. One organizer who spoke to the commission said local groups have retained an attorney and a lobbyist and plan to host an informational session in March for residents interested in intervening.
What happens next: The commission did not take a formal vote to intervene on March 4. Commissioners said staff will review the issue and report back; resident organizers said they will announce any informational session for property owners and prospective intervenors.
