HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 58

(By Delegates Manypenny, Doyle, Talbott,

Longstreth, Mahan, Staggers, Moore, Lawrence, M. Poling,

 Poore, Guthrie, Brown, Hatfield, Shaver, Smith, Walker,

 Wells, Hamilton, Fleischauer and Moye)

Requesting the West Virginia Public Service Commission to halt

consideration of the PATH transmission project until full consideration is given to Dominion Virginia Power’s Alternative One.

    Whereas, Dominion Virginia Power has proposed to PJM Interconnection, West Virginia's regional transmission organization, an alternative to the PATH transmission project to rebuild two existing high voltage transmission lines and the TRAIL line’s in-service date of June 2011 which would make a new PATH transmission line unnecessary to maintain the capacity and safety of West Virginia's electrical transmission system; and

    Whereas, Dominion's proposed alternative to PATH would require no new West Virginia landowners to give up their land for the proposed rebuild project; and

    Whereas, Dominion estimates that its proposed alternative to PATH would cost West Virginia consumers less than one-third the cost of the proposed PATH line; and

    Whereas, Dominion's proposal for this Mount Storm to Doubs line will result in an increase in the thermal capacity of the two rebuilt transmission lines by sixty-five percent, eliminating almost all of the problems that PJM Interconnection has identified in our region; and

    Whereas, The West Virginia Public Service Commission and PJM Interconnection have already approved approximately one half of Dominion's proposed alternative to PATH; and

    Whereas, The remaining transmission line to be rebuilt under the Dominion alternative lies entirely within the State of West Virginia and Allegheny Energy's subsidiary Monongahela Power which owns that transmission line is entirely within the jurisdiction of the West Virginia Public Service Commission; and

    Whereas, This Legislature has required that the West Virginia Public Service Commission act in the best interests of West Virginia electrical customers and citizens concerning high voltage transmission line projects; therefore, be it

    Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

     We strongly urge the West Virginia Public Service Commission to halt all consideration of the PATH application currently before it, and move rapidly to approve the reconstruction/rebuilding of Monongahela Power's Pruntytown to Mt. Storm 500kV transmission line, completing the majority of the Dominion alternative to PATH which is in the best interests of West Virginia electrical customers and citizens; and, be it

    Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates forward a certified copy of this resolution to the Commissioners of the West Virginia Public Service Commission.