Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is TrAIL?Q: What is the timing for this project?
Q: In what states will the new lines be located?
Q: What is PJM?
Q: What did PJM approve?
Q: What is the purpose of this transmission line?
Q: Why did PJM develop this plan?
Q: Why could power be disrupted?
Q: Is PJM the only entity that says this line is needed?
Q: Why build these facilities, aren't there enough lines already?
Q: What is congestion?
Q: Is congestion really a problem?
Q: What is a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor'?
Q: Why should the federal government be involved in the development and maintenance of the U.S. transmission grid?
Q: Will Allegheny's customers benefit from the line?
Q: What are the other benefits of this project?
Q: What will the new line cost?
Q: Who pays for transmission lines?
Q: Who will pay for the new transmission project?
Q: What will be the rate impact of these cost allocations on Allegheny customers?
Q: When will the precise line route be determined?
Q: Where are the two new substations?
Q: What agencies will have to approve this route?
Q: Does the public have any say in the line route?
Q: How will environmental impacts be considered with siting this route?
Q: Rather than placing a 500kV transmission line on 125-foot towers, wouldn't it be better just to bury it underground where nobody sees it?
Q: How will land be acquired for this project?
Q: How will affected property owners be notified?
Q: What else should affected landowners expect?
Q: Will the construction of this line result in increased emissions from coal-fired power plants?
Q: What is TrAIL?
TrAIL stands for the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line. In June 2006, PJM directed the construction of a proposed 500-kilovolt transmission line extending from Southwestern Pennsylvania to existing substations at Mt. Storm, W. Va. and Meadow Brook near Middletown, Va., along with an interconnection with Dominion Virginia Power and continuing east to Dominion's Loudoun Substation. PJM also directed the construction of two new substations in Southwestern Pennsylvania, and three new 138 kV lines, each approximately five miles in length.
The portion of the PJM region served by a company's transmission facilities is known as its transmission zone. Allegheny and Dominion will each construct the line in their respective transmission zones. In addition to the customers served directly by Allegheny, several municipal and rural electric cooperative systems are located within Allegheny's zone.
Q: What is the timing for this project?
TrAIL is included in PJM's 5-year plan, which anticipates a completion date in 2011.
Activities in 2006 and 2007, prior to our state utility commission applications to construct the line include: project need identified and directed by PJM; line siting activities; GIS data collection; local, state and federal resource information collection; development of potential line routes; conduct public open houses; receive public comments; proposed route selection and landowner identification.
Activities in 2007 through 2009, concurrent with our state applications include: landowner identification; initial property owner contact; right-of-way acquisition activities; state approval process including public hearings; environmental studies, engineering and construction permitting. Construction is expected to begin in 2008, after we receive state approvals and run through 2011.
Q: In what states will the new lines be located?
Allegheny's portion of the proposed line is currently expected to run through Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.
Q: What is PJM?
PJM Interconnection is a Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) that coordinates the movement of electricity and ensures the reliability of the transmission grid and plans transmission expansion in 13 states and the District of Columbia. Allegheny Power's service territory lies within the PJM region. Allegheny owns and operates the transmission system in its zone, but PJM has "functional" control of the grid across the region.
Regional transmission organizations were established by FERC Order 2000 and are federally regulated entities with operational authority for all transmission facilities under their functional control. RTOs have planning authority for maintaining the short- and long-term reliability needs of the grid that it controls.
Q: What did PJM approve?
In June 2006, the PJM Board approved a 5-year regional electric transmission plan, which is designed to maintain the reliability of the region's transmission system. As part of the plan, PJM authorized construction of the TrAIL facilities.
Q: What is the purpose of this transmission line?
The line will greatly strengthen the reliability of the power grid that serves the Allegheny Power zone. The need for the TrAIL facilities is driven by load growth in the Mid-Atlantic and Northern Virginia areas of PJM as well as the Southwestern Pennsylvania portion of Allegheny Power's zone, including the ever-expanding Pittsburgh suburbs. Without these facilities, the stability of the electric grid and reliable flow of electricity within the PJM region cannot be reasonably assured. That could result in blackouts, rolling blackouts and brownouts as early as 2011, according to leading independent energy experts. Experts also agree that these facilities will reduce the likelihood of blackouts disrupting businesses and impacting our quality of life.
Q: Why did PJM develop this plan?
PJM has the responsibility to ensure the reliability of the region's transmission system. Part of that responsibility includes planning for transmission expansion to address reliability issues.
The PJM planning group's report indicated a need for a new line connecting Prexy - 502 Junction - Mt. Storm - Meadow Brook - Loudoun substations. The line from 502 Junction to Loudoun will mitigate overloading on the Pruntytown-Mt. Storm, the Mt. Storm-Doubs and the Black Oak-Bedington 500kV lines, which are significant reliability issues. Not only does this route significantly increase transfers across the PJM region, but it also will strengthen the region's existing 500-kV system and reinforce its underlying transmission system, which will improve reliability for customers across the region.
Allegheny has been directed to build these facilities by PJM—a result of extensive studies by their transmission expansion planning group. PJM has determined 12 electric reliability problems will occur beginning in 2011 if the 502 Junction to Loudoun portion of the line is not constructed; and three electric reliability problems in Greene and Washington counties, Pennsylvania, will occur if the 502 Junction to Prexy segment of the line and the 138 kV lines are not constructed.
Q: Why could power be disrupted?
Due to interconnectivity of the grid, problems in one area can almost instantaneously affect other areas hundreds of miles away. For instance, if a transmission line or associated equipment begins to overload in one place, immediate action must be taken before the line or equipment overheats and becomes permanently damaged. Short-term remedies might include turning off generating plants far away from the initial problem, turning specific transmission lines on or off, or discontinuing electric service to certain groups of customers or customers in certain areas.
Q: Is PJM the only entity that says this line is needed?
No, the U.S. Department of Energy, in its 2006 National Congestion Study, identifies the Mid-Atlantic area of PJM as a "Critical Congestion Area" and says new transmission lines are needed to reduce energy constraints in that area and other electrically congested areas of the U.S. to significantly improve the reliability of the electric transmission system. Such bottlenecks occur when the flow of electricity on the transmission system is constrained by the physical capacity of the line.
The North American Electric Reliability Council (NERC) in its 2006 Long-Term Assessment states: "While peak demand is projected to increase over the next ten years by 19 percent in the U.S. and by 13 percent in Canada, total transmission miles are projected to increase by less than 7 percent in the U.S. and 3.5 percent in Canada. The transmission system requires additional investment to address reliability issues and economic impacts. Without expanded transmission system investment, grid congestion will increase, making it more difficult for available supply to meet demands and to allow full utilization of capacity/demand diversity; in some situations, this can lead to supply shortages and involuntary customer interruptions."
Q: Why build these facilities, aren't there enough lines already?
TrAIL addresses imminent reliability problems and PJM's approval directs immediate action by Allegheny and Dominion to construct the line. PJM's planning process indicated a need for a new line to mitigate overloading on the Pruntytown-Mt. Storm, the Mt. Storm-Doubs and the Black Oak-Bedington 500kV lines.
Throughout the PJM region, the demand for electricity has increased significantly, while the transmission infrastructure has not increased at a proportional pace. This has led to greater reliability risks and higher prices for consumers.
Each utility's transmission system was originally constructed to meet its needs with limited capability to transfer power to neighboring utilities. Now, the combined PJM system serves as an integrated transmission network connecting generators to local distribution systems. Due to the growth in the demand for electricity, additional transmission lines are needed to improve the grid's reliability and reduce congestion so power can be transferred from where it is generated to where it is needed.
Q: What is congestion?
The points in the transmission grid at which operations cannot take place are known by many terms: transmission constraints, "bottlenecks" or congestion points. Congestion describes the situation when the flow of electricity on the transmission system is constrained by the physical capacity of the line or associated equipment, such as transformers. These congestion points can limit the flow of power from one region to another, in much the same way that a three-lane highway reduced to two lanes will restrict the flow of traffic.
Q: Is congestion really a problem?
PJM estimates the cost of congestion in 2006 to be more than $1.6 billion, which is ultimately paid by consumers.
In August 2006, the U.S. Department of Energy released the National Electric Transmission Congestion Study authorized under the Energy Policy Act, which provides analysis of generation and transmission capacity across the U.S. and identifies critical areas that need attention to meet growing demand. "Electricity congestion increases consumer bills and challenges the reliable delivery of power to our homes. To ensure electricity reliability across the country, it is important that we do everything we can to facilitate investment in new generation and transmission capacity," Director of the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability Kevin Kolevar said.
Q: What is a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor'?
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 requires the Department of Energy to identify the areas that are experiencing electric energy transmission capacity constraints, or congestion. The Act provides the FERC authority to make sure these National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors receive priority treatment.
Q: Why should the federal government be involved in the development and maintenance of the U.S. transmission grid?
Congress has charged FERC with overseeing the reliability and security of this critical national infrastructure. One of several ways they are doing this is by promoting and encouraging investment to expand and improve the electric transmission system. Other methods such as encouraging participation in regional transmission organizations such as PJM and review of reliability standards are other areas being considered by them.
Q: Will Allegheny's customers benefit from the line?
Yes, Allegheny's customers will benefit from TrAIL. Allegheny has a legal responsibility to maintain reliability and deliver electricity to its customers; and infrastructure additions, such as TrAIL, are part of that obligation. The addition of new transmission lines will make the transmission system more reliable and lessen the chance of interruptions from an overload condition.
The portion of the line that runs north from 502 Junction to Prexy in Southwestern Pennsylvania will serve Allegheny's customers in that region. We have seen tremendous growth in the demand for electricity south of Pittsburgh, particularly along the I-79 corridor.
We have also seen tremendous growth in the Northern Virginia area along the I-81 corridor and TrAIL's connection to the Meadow Brook Substation is designed to meet the area's growing need for electricity.
Q: What are the other benefits of this project?
In addition to improving reliability, which benefits all customers, there will economic benefits for West Virginia and Southwestern Pennsylvania, including expanding markets for local coal, more jobs and the potential for new generation projects including clean-coal technologies and renewables, such as wind and hydro.
Q: What will the new line cost?
A preliminary estimate of Allegheny's portion of the transmission expansion is approximately $820 million.
Q: Who pays for transmission lines?
All electricity consumers ultimately pay for transmission services. In regulated states, such as West Virginia, these costs are included in the total price of electricity. In states that have adopted deregulation, those costs are itemized on a customer's bill. Typically, transmission represents about 5 percent of an Allegheny customer's bill.
Q: Who will pay for the new transmission project?
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has directed that the costs associated with the 502 Junction – Prexy 500-kilovolt line and the 502 Junction – Loudoun 500-kilovolt line will be allocated to all customers in the PJM Region, including those outside the Allegheny Zone, and that the costs associated with the Prexy Substation and 138-kV lines in Southwestern Pennsylvania will be allocated to wholesale customers within the Allegheny Zone. This allocation includes customers of municipal and rural electric cooperative systems within Allegheny’s zone.
Under FERC rules, Allegheny is both a transmission owner and a wholesale customer of the services provided by the PJM transmission system. FERC sets the rates that PJM, on behalf of transmission owners, may recover from wholesale customers using the transmission system. Wholesale customers, such as Allegheny must then seek to recover those costs through retail rates that are approved by state commissions. Municipal and rural electric cooperative systems may not be subject to state regulation.
Q: What will be the rate impact of these cost allocations on Allegheny customers?
Because the cost allocations have not been approved by FERC and remain subject to change during the approval process, we do not know the rate impact to Allegheny's customers at this time.
Q: When will the precise line route be determined?
When Allegheny files for authorization to construct the TrAIL facilities with each of the state utility commissions, the filing will include what will be known at the "Proposed Route." The proposed route in each state will be posted on Allegheny's web site www.aptrailinfo.com under a tab designated for each state filing.
Q: Where are the two new substations?
Prexy is located in Washington County, Pa., northeast of the community of Eighty Four. Allegheny has owned the property for more than 30 years.
502 Junction will be located in Greene County, Pa., east of the community of Mt. Morris. It will be located near the junction of two existing 500 kV lines that connect Kammer, Harrison and Fort Martin.
Q: What agencies will have to approve this route?
Approvals will come from the regulatory commissions of states that the line crosses. In addition, permits from some federal agencies, as well as various state and local authorities may be required to the extent that the line is subject to their jurisdictions.
Allegheny will be required to obtain authorization from each of the three states where the project will be constructed. Consequently, Allegheny expects to seek authorization from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission, the Virginia State Corporation Commission and the West Virginia Public Service Commission.
When obtaining the necessary governmental authorizations to site and construct the project, Allegheny is committed to working with landowners, neighboring residents and business owners, and regulators to balance all interests in an effort to minimize environmental and land use impacts.
Q: Does the public have any say in the line route?
We understand that siting a transmission line will be controversial. We solicited public opinion during the routing studies at 10 informational meetings throughout the study area. In addition, the public will also will have the opportunity to participate in proceedings before state commissions as part of the regulatory approval process.
Q: How will environmental impacts be considered with siting this route?
Environmental impact assessments will be conducted once the route is determined, and the final route selection will be a result of the least-impact alternatives. Establishment of a transmission line that results in minimal effect on the environment requires extensive engineering and planning on the part of Allegheny engineers and environmental specialists. The objective of the evaluation is to identify a route that minimizes, to the extent possible, the impact to the study area while maintaining the ability to construct a safe and reliable transmission line.
Q: Rather than placing a 500kV transmission line on 125-foot towers, wouldn't it be better just to bury it underground where nobody sees it?
The purpose of the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line is to strengthen the reliability of the power grid serving the Mid-Atlantic and Northern Virginia areas and Southwestern Pennsylvania. Trusting crucial reliability to untested underground technology in order to avoid building towers is too risky. Here are a few obstacles associated with burying the line:
- Limited experience—there is no U.S. experience with 500kV cable installed underground, and worldwide experience is limited to cable installed in utility tunnels, on bridges, or underwater.
- Less capacity—underground cables carry far less power than overhead lines—as many as five or six might be needed to do the same job.
- Lengthy repairs—when there are problems, it could take longer than a month to repair an underground 500kV line. Prolonged outages of this duration could jeopardize the reliability of the grid.
- Additional equipment—more above-ground substations are required for underground lines.
- Disruptive digging—underground cables require massive excavation that could severely impact streams, wetlands and other sensitive areas. The amount of excavated material greatly exceeds than that removed by digging foundations for towers.
- Not invisible—underground cables require 30 to 50 feet ROW stripped of all woody vegetation, creating a very visible stripe along its path. Permanent access is required along the full length of the line for maintenance and repairs.
Q: How will land be acquired for this project?
Utilities typically negotiate agreements with private property owners to acquire rights-of-way and Allegheny's experience has generally been positive in reaching acceptable agreements with property owners. In fact, a portion of the proposed line's right-of-way in Southwestern Pennsylvania has already been obtained as part of a previous transmission line project.
Allegheny will make every effort to reach a fair and equitable agreement with each property owner along the line, attempting to acquire right-of-way at a fair price. Appraising transmission line easements is one of the more specialized fields of the entire appraisal process and requires substantial experience.
Although all owners will be dealt with equitably, some may receive more money than others for various reasons. These include: the area covered by the easement may be greater on one parcel than another; some parcels may include road frontage where others do not; some parcels may have a higher value than others due to land use, topography, size, location or other individual property characteristics. Allegheny will endeavor to minimize the use of eminent domain.
Q: How will affected property owners be notified?
There are different requirements in each state. In West Virginia, all property owners within 1,000 feet of either side of the 200-foot right-of-way (2,200-foot total corridor) will be notified by first class mail shortly after the PSC issues an order directing notification. In Pennsylvania, all property owners within 500 feet of either side of the 200-foot right-of-way (1,200-foot corridor) will be notified via registered or certified mail sent at the time the filing is made with the PUC. In Virginia, all property owners within ¼ mile of either side of the right of way (more than ½ mile total corridor) will be notified when the SCC issues an order directing notification. Additionally, in Virginia not only will Allegheny notify landowners along the proposed route, but also along the "viable" alternate routes, which will be identified in the filing with the SCC.
Q: What else should affected landowners expect?
The first activity that will directly affect property owners will be when Allegheny contacts them to initiate the surveying process. After survey notification, survey personnel will enter the property to obtain necessary information for engineering and right of way agreement preparation. Environmental studies, such as wetland and archaeological studies will be performed. Prior to final engineering, it will be necessary to enter some properties for core boring. This activity is a procedure for testing soil conditions and is needed to complete design of the structure foundations.
Q: Will the construction of this line result in increased emissions from coal-fired power plants?
The proposed line will not be in service until 2011 when new Environmental Protection Agency Clean Air Interstate Rules and Clean Air Mercury Rules will be in place. We envision that this line may improve the transmission grid's ability to add new generation sources, including clean-coal technologies, renewables such as wind and hydro, and natural gas.
