A proposed high-voltage transmission project that would stretch about 220 miles from West Virginia to Perry County is drawing concern from local residents, including Newport-area landowner Don Halke, who said the plan has left him worried about the future of his property, his health and the quiet rural setting he and his wife spent decades building.
The project, known as Project 237 in PJM Interconnection’s regional planning process, was approved by PJM’s board in February. According to materials submitted during that process, the line would run from the Kammer Station in Marshall County, W.Va., across multiple Pennsylvania counties and terminate at the Juniata substation in Centre Twp.
NextEra Energy Transmission and Exelon, the companies behind the proposal, said in a Feb. 13 press release that the roughly 765-kilovolt transmission line is intended to improve reliability and affordability in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and the broader Mid-Atlantic region. The companies said the line would add capacity to meet rising demand, allow new generation to connect to the grid, support economic development and create construction jobs…