Controversial Power Line Project Opposed By Baltimore County Executive

BALTIMORE COUNTY, MD — Baltimore County is taking additional action to oppose a controversial, long-range power line that would cut across the far northern part of the county.

An electric company wants to build a 67-mile overhead power line connection to avoid grid thermal overloads and voltage instability that could hit Maryland by 2027.

Known as the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project, the proposal is led by utility company PSEG. It would traverse Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Counties.

Opponents worry the project could hurt public health, property values and cultural sites.

"Protecting the best interests of our residents and agricultural community while maintaining the County’s conservation easements and preserved land are our top priorities," Baltimore County Executive Kathy Klausmeier (D) said in a Monday press release. "While Baltimore County does not have the legal authority to stop the project, we will continue to work with our state and Council partners to share serious concerns about its impacts and protect our County’s agricultural legacy and land preservation interests."

Klausmeier said the county will petition to intervene in the project.

"There are still far too many questions about the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project’s potential environmental impacts – as well as impacts on Baltimore County residents and farmers – to move forward," County Council Chair Mike Ertel (D-Towson) said in the release. "The Council took a stand this past October with our unanimous passage of Resolution 45-24, and fully support Baltimore County’s intervention in this matter."

Baltimore County's opposition to the project has bipartisan support.

"This project threatens to cut across northern Baltimore County, threatening our agricultural industry, and the property rights of many County residents. It also undermines the County’s preservation efforts, which have successfully protected over 70,000 acres of prime and productive land," Wade Kach (R-Timonium) said in the release. "The proposed route, dangerously close to the Prettyboy Reservoir, poses a significant concern to our environment and water quality. We must stand firm in protecting these vital resources for both current and future generations."

This continues the county's previous intervention actions, including:

• County Executive Klausmeier’s January 22, 2025 letter to the Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) requesting the group perform an analysis to identify potential impacts to County-owned easements. On January 31, PSEG responded with a summary of the group’s findings, which indicated a significant impact on easements – including those issued under the Baltimore County Agricultural Land Preservation Program – as well as forest buffer and conservation easements.
• Baltimore County Council’s unanimous passage of Resolution 45-24 on October 21, 2024 opposing the MPRP and encouraging the Maryland Public Service Commission to reject the project.
• Former Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski and the Board of Carroll County Commissioners’ September 30, 2024 letter to Governor Moore requesting collaborative support to address and amplify unanswered questions about MPRP.
• Then Maryland State Senator Kathy Klausmeier’s – along with 17 additional state legislators – August 27, 2024 letter to regional transmission organization PJM expressing concerns about the project and offering alternative approaches.
• Former Baltimore County Executive Olszewski’s July 31, 2024 letter to PSEG expressing serious concerns about the project, opposing the use of eminent domain and requesting a comprehensive justification regarding the necessity for the transmission line project.

Project Overview

The single-circuit, 500-kilovolt, alternating current transmission lines would extend from Allegheny Power System's existing Doubs Station in Frederick County to an interconnection or demarcation point west of Baltimore Gas and Electric Company's Conastone Station in northern Baltimore County.

About 303 steel towers would support the power lines. Standing an average of 145 feet tall, the towers would range in height from 85 to 195 feet. They would be placed an average of 1,200 feet apart, with the shortest stretch being 800 feet and the longest being 1,400 feet.

The project would span 1,221 acres with a right of way 150 feet wide, 75 feet on either side of the lines.

PSEG hopes to finish the project by mid-2027, Maryland Matters reported

PSEG selected Route H as its preferred track from 10 options after conducting extensive research and considering about 5,300 public comments, Maryland Matters said.

Application materials submitted by MSEG said:

"Route H is near fewer residences, the fewest community facilities, avoids the entrance drive to a place of worship, and avoids Deer Crossing Elementary School. It is among the routes near the fewest cultural resource areas, is furthest from the Monocacy National Battlefield, and has a more favorable crossing of a federal scenic byway. It has the second fewest acres of conservation easement land within the ROW of the routes considered and avoids Gunpowder Falls State Park and Prettyboy Reservoir. Route H parallels existing infrastructure for 20% of its length, including the Conastone-Brighton-Doubs lines. It has the fewest turn structures, is the third least expensive of the routes considered, and avoids construction constraints associated with paralleling a railroad and a 90-degree turn adjacent to a railroad."

The power lines would cost $424 million to build and $1.2 million to operate annually.

PSEG anticipates an economic impact of $306 million, $251 million during construction and $55 million over a projected 30 years of operation. It also estimates that the project will supply 1,709 full-time equivalent jobs.

PSEG's application, case number 9773, is available at this link. PSEG applied for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity on Dec. 31, 2024, through the Maryland Public Service Commission.

The Baltimore County Government has no legal authority to approve or reject this project, but it encouraged residents and stakeholders to make public comments here.