About 100 people attended the first in what will be a series of Public Hearings being held by the West Virginia Public Service Commission to get public input on the Potomac Appalachian transmission highline or PATH project.  People came to the Frank Arts Center at Shepherd University from Maryland, Virginia and all across West Virginia to be heard in front of commissioners Mike Albert, Jon McKinney and Ed Staats.

Those already signed on as intervenors in the case were not permitted to speak, but anyone else interested was allowed to stand up and share their opinion.  About 27 people chose to speak including Jefferson County Delegate John Doyle, who said he felt the line was unnecessary and the commission already approved the TrAIL project to meet the growing needs of the power grid for the foreseeable future. (CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO)

There was a mixture of people for and against the project.  Many people speaking in favor represented unions and said that they saw PATH as both necessary for the sustainability of the power grid, but also as essential for creating jobs.  Business Manager of IBW Local 307 in Cumberland Maryland Richard Carter was accompanied by 16 unemployed workers.  Carter said they came of their own accord to support the project.  Carter says the jobs PATH would create are needed and says the strain on the current power system is obvious to those working in the field.

Other audience members disagreed.  Protestors stood along the street and at the entrance of the Frank Arts Center holding signs and sporting t-shirts expressing their opposition to the project.  Some who spoke were going to be directly impacted by PATH, others were simply concerned about who would actually be benefiting from the project.  Jefferson County is the only place where three public hearings were scheduled that will span two days.  The entire series will wrap up in October before the PSC begins evidentiary hearings in February 2010.

Categories: Local News
Tags: Conservation, economy, Energy, Jefferson County, PATH