High Level
Transmission development is facing intensifying opposition
from landowners, local governments, and even state utility commissions. Whether
rooted in aesthetics, equity, due process, or outright skepticism of renewable
mandates, challenges to major projects surfaced across the country this week.
From West Virginia and Michigan to Texas and Wisconsin, project developers and
regulators encountered lawsuits, legislative calls for reform, and mounting
demands for greater transparency and local benefit. While utilities defend the
grid upgrades as essential for reliability and decarbonization, the opposition
is becoming too loud—and too diverse—to ignore.
Full View
West Virginia officials and counties unify against MARL
transmission line, citing costs, land use, and lack of benefits
• What happened: A
bipartisan coalition of republican West Virginia lawmakers and county
commissions have issued formal opposition to NextEra Energy’s proposed
MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL), a 105-mile, 500-kV transmission line slated
to run through the state to serve Virginia data centers.
• Who did it:
Delegates S. Chris Anders (R-Berkeley), Geno Chiarelli and David McCormick
(both R-Monongalia), and Rick Hillenbrand (R-Hampshire), along with commissions
in Monongalia, Preston, Hampshire, Jefferson, and Mineral counties.
• Why they did it:
Officials object to the use of West Virginia land and ratepayer funds for a
project that would bring no in-state benefit, raise transmission costs, and
potentially displace farms and residences through eminent domain. Monongalia
County officials criticized the project as “solving someone else’s problem” and
noted that Virginia should bear the impacts of its own energy policy decisions.
• Stakeholder views:
• Del. Chris Anders: “It’s an immoral land grab dressed up as
infrastructure.”
• Del. David McCormick: “Virginia doesn’t have enough
power? Well, maybe they shouldn’t have closed
all the power plants.”
• Commissioner Tom Bloom
(D-Monongalia): “Why are we building the lines against
the backs of our citizens?”
• Commissioner Jeffrey
Arnett (D-Monongalia): “It’s the
most one-sided thing I’ve ever been a part of.”
• What
happens next: NextEra has not yet filed its formal application with the
West Virginia Public Service Commission but is in the routing and engagement
phase. Construction is anticipated to begin in 2029.
WV
News
The
Real WV
WVPB
Eaton fire reignites scrutiny of California rules on
abandoned transmission lines
• What happened:
Investigative reporting revealed that Southern California Edison (SCE)
successfully lobbied in the early 2000s to weaken a proposed California Public
Utilities Commission (CPUC) rule that would have required the removal of
abandoned transmission lines. One such dormant line is now suspected of
sparking the Eaton fire, which killed 19 people and destroyed over 9,000
structures in January 2025.
• Who did it: The
CPUC, under pressure from Edison and other utilities, revised its proposed rule
in 2005 to allow companies to retain unused lines indefinitely if they claimed
potential future use.
• Why they did it:
Utilities argued that premature line removal would increase ratepayer costs and
reduce system flexibility. However, critics say the rule change prioritized
corporate convenience over wildfire safety.
• Stakeholder views:
• Raffy Stepanian, former
CPUC safety engineer: “There was a lot of pressure on us to
agree with utilities on everything... This fire could have been prevented.”
• Loretta Lynch, CPUC
president in 2001: “The commission’s vote
perverted the entire intent... Instead the commission’s final
decision reduced safety requirements.”
• What
happens next: The CPUC and legislature face growing calls to revisit
dormant line policies, with lawmakers questioning the absence of a statewide
registry and timeline for line removal. The investigation into the Eaton fire
is ongoing.
Los
Angeles Times
Five state commissions challenge MISO’s $22B transmission
portfolio, call MVP designation inflated
• What happened:
Utility commissions from Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and North
Dakota filed a formal complaint at FERC seeking to strip MISO’s Tranche 2.1
transmission projects of their “multi-value project” (MVP) status, which would
eliminate regional cost sharing.
• Who did it: The
state commissions jointly filed the complaint on July 30, 2025, challenging
MISO’s methodology and benefit projections for its 24-project, 3,631-mile,
765-kV transmission expansion.
• Why they did it:
The commissions allege that MISO overstated benefits related to reliability,
capacity deferral, and decarbonization. They argue that the projected $38.3
billion in benefits was inflated and, when corrected, falls between $4.3
billion and $7.2 billion—well below project costs.
• Stakeholder views:
• State commissions: “Classifying the Tranche 2.1 projects as MVPs allows states with
ambitious clean energy goals to shift transmission costs... to other states.”
• What
happens next: FERC will review the complaint and assess whether MISO’s MVP
designation—and associated regional cost allocation—meets legal and tariff
standards.
Utility
Dive
Wisconsin residents raise opposition as PSC weighs two
routes for $669M transmission project
• What happened: At
a July 24 public comment session in Lake Holcombe, Wisconsin residents voiced
opposition to proposed routes for a new 500-kV transmission line project under
review by the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC).
• Who did it:
Community members along both proposed routes—Route 1 (94 miles) and Route 2 (80
miles)—raised concerns ranging from aesthetics to land use, environmental
impacts, and procedural fairness.
• Why they did it:
While the project aims to increase grid reliability and support future
generation and load growth, residents say it pits communities against each
other and lacks demonstrated local benefit.
• Stakeholder views:
• Don Reck: “It’s a beautiful area, and I hope and
pray that it stays that way.”
• Craig Hinzmann: Warned
that Route 2 would “take too much of [his] property.”
• Mary Catherine Anglum: “Do they understand what they’re
destroying…? I don’t support
either one of those routes.”
• What
happens next: The PSC will decide whether to approve, modify, or deny the
proposal. If approved, the line would enter service by 2029.
Courier
Sentinel
Texas landowners challenge “routine” reroute exemption in
Rim Rock transmission line dispute
• What happened:
Residents of Driftwood, Texas, filed a complaint with the Public Utility
Commission of Texas (PUC) challenging a proposed transmission line relocation
that would move a 138-kV line closer to their neighborhood under a “routine
reroute” exemption that bypasses standard public input.
• Who did it: The
Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC), in partnership with Discovery Land
Company, sought to shift the line to accommodate luxury development. Local
residents and State Rep. Erin Zwiener opposed the reroute.
• Why they did it:
Residents argue the exemption denies them due process and poses financial and
aesthetic harm. The relocation would serve a private developer rather than grid
reliability.
• Stakeholder views:
• Carly Barton (landowners’ attorney): “This case is very much a test case
for transmission lines throughout the state of Texas.”
• Rep. Erin Zwiener: “There’s nothing routine about having... an
80-foot-plus power line end up in your backyard.”
• What
happens next: The PUC added the case to its July 31 agenda. It could be
denied, delayed, or advanced as a potential precedent-setter.
KVUE
Michigan landowners decry forced transmission siting,
cite gaps in notice, legal redress, and accountability
• What happened: The
Michigan Public Service Commission (MPSC) approved two major transmission
projects totaling 94 miles and $624 million, triggering backlash from rural
landowners and bipartisan calls for siting reform.
• Who did it:
Michigan Electric Transmission Company (METC), a subsidiary of ITC Holdings,
received 3-0 approval from the MPSC. Rep. Jennifer Wortz (R-Quincy) and MPSC
Commissioners Peretick and Scripps raised concerns.
• Why they did it:
The projects support the state’s 100% clean energy targets. Opponents say the
process limits public notice and local recourse, enabling eminent domain with
little accountability.
• Stakeholder views:
• Commissioner Peretick: “Blatant disregard for the interests of landowners.”
• Robert Williams: “Why are we letting a for-profit company use eminent domain on
our citizens?”
• Rep. Wortz: “Where’s the accountability?”
• What
happens next: Wortz has introduced a bill to allow courts to revise routes.
Landowners are demanding stronger public notice requirements and CCN reform.
Detroit
News
What’s the So What?
This week made one thing clear: transmission opposition is
now politically organized—and predominantly partisan. Across West Virginia,
Michigan, and Texas, Republican lawmakers are leading efforts to block major
projects. Their arguments echo a familiar populist script: eminent domain
abuse, disregard for rural identity, and resistance to perceived liberal energy
agendas. This isn’t opposition rooted in procedural nuance. It’s
ideological—and it’s spreading.
And yet, here’s the hard part: sometimes they’re right.
Southern California Edison’s 50-year-old dormant line—the
suspected ignition source of the Eaton fire—is a textbook case of regulatory
capture and industry pressure unraveling a safety regime. A rule meant to
eliminate obsolete transmission infrastructure was gutted under utility
lobbying. Now 19 people are dead, and more than 9,000 structures are gone. It’s
proof that bad actors exist. They do exploit public trust. And they do put
lives at risk.
So where does that leave us? In a dangerous gray zone. One
where blanket opposition to transmission—no matter how justified it feels—can
undermine projects that are well-designed, critically needed, and in the public
interest. If every line is a land grab and every planner a villain, even the
good ones won’t survive.
That’s the cautionary tale. The political right is winning
the narrative war, but it’s doing so with a blunt instrument. And if this
reflexive opposition becomes the default, we won’t just kill bad projects—we’ll
kill the grid’s future.
What’s needed now is credible accountability paired with
credible planning. Communities deserve answers. But they also deserve
infrastructure that works. Discerning opposition—not universal obstruction—is
the only path forward.
Bibliography
WV News. “Berkeley County, West Virginia, delegate announces
opposition to MARL transmission line project.” August 2, 2025. https://www.wvnews.com/news/wvnews/berkeley-county-west-virginia-delegate-announces-opposition-to-marl-transmission-line-project/article_ae3c23b5-ded1-4047-ad26-985aea090ff9.html
The Real WV. “Morgantown Delegate joins opposition to MARL
transmission project.” August 3, 2025. https://therealwv.com/2025/08/03/morgantown-delegate-joins-opposition-to-marl-transmission-project/
WVPB. “Monongalia County Commission Joins Neighbors in
Opposition to Transmission Line.” July 31, 2025. https://wvpublic.org/story/government/monongalia-county-commission-joins-neighbors-in-opposition-to-transmission-line/
Los Angeles Times. “‘This fire could have been prevented’:
How utilities fought removal of old power lines.” August 1, 2025. https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-08-01/this-fire-could-have-been-prevented-how-utilities-fought-removal-of-old-powerlines
Utility Dive. “5 utility commissions ask FERC to undo MISO’s
$22B multi-value transmission portfolio.” July 31, 2025. https://www.utilitydive.com/news/ferc-complaint-mvp-multi-value-project-transmission/756411/
Courier Sentinel. “Transmission line project sparks
concerns.” July 30, 2025. https://www.centralwinews.com/area-news/2025/07/30/transmission-line-project-sparks-concerns/
KVUE. “Rim Rock residents fear financial blow from
developer’s power line plan.” July 30, 2025. https://www.kvue.com/article/news/investigations/defenders/power-line-rim-rock-reroute-driftwood-texas/269-a24b0890-60b9-46fd-89b7-82a4e8ec2cbe
Detroit News. “Property owners feel burned by push to
upgrade Michigan's energy grid.” July 29, 2025. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/07/29/michigan-clean-energy-electric-transmission-lines-property-rights-eminent-domain-itc-holdings-fortis/85212820007/