PJM confirms new 765 kV line planned

Testimony before the West Virginia Public Service Commission on Tuesday revealed that the regional grid operator plans to build another 765-kilovolt transmission line through the state. Dr. Sami Abdulsalam, the senior director of transmission planning for PJM Interconnection, told the panel that the project is part of a broader strategy to handle increasing electricity loads.

The hearing focused on the MARL project, a 107.5-mile, 500-kilovolt line proposed by NextEra Energy. The route spans Monongalia, Preston, Mineral, and Hampshire counties. PJM officials argued that the new line would add capacity and prevent failures by upgrading existing facilities. Abdulsalam compared the addition to building an interstate highway to relieve traffic on current roads. He stated that if the MARL is built, an outage on existing infrastructure would not cause a catastrophic grid failure.

Local interveners raised concerns about the impact of high-voltage lines. Kent Hunter, from Monongalia County, cited past incidents where transmission failures led to brush fires and injured livestock. He questioned whether the proposed 500 kV line would be properly maintained. Abdulsalam responded that transmission owners are held to specific operational and reliability standards as a condition for collecting annual rate base revenue.

PSC Chairman Charlotte Lane asked about the role of fossil fuel retirements in Virginia, which were accelerated by the Virginia Clean Economy Act. The law requires utilities to provide 100 percent clean electricity by switching to renewables and battery storage. Abdulsalam said that in some isolated areas, facility retirements alone drive the need for new lines. However, he noted that in West Virginia, the demand is driven by both retirements and a sharp rise in load.

PJM data shows that typical grid demand has grown by about 1 percent annually in the past. That growth rate has now increased to approximately 4 percent per year. The U.S. Department of Energy reports that data centers used 4.4 percent of electricity generated in the United States in 2023. Officials expect these figures to continue rising over the next decade.

Abdulsalam confirmed that regional transmission restrictions and earlier-than-expected power demands are driving the need for the additional 765 kV line. He stated that a conservative analysis from 2024 proved the necessity for both 765 kV and 500 kV development. The commission will continue hearings at its headquarters in Charleston on Wednesday.