Last week, the Board of Managers for PJM Interconnection, a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of electric throughout much of the Mid-Atlantic, put the final nail in the coffin of the Mid-Atlantic Power Pathway (MAPP) project due to, among other reasons, a reduced need due to the economic downturn and from the installation of new gas-fired power plants.
The Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), along with the Dorchester County Council and Libby Nagel’s Dorchester Citizens for Safe Energy, was among only a handful of groups to stand up to the energy giants and to spend time and funds on learning about energy options tailored to the needs of the Eastern Shore. This was an amazing effort by all to take significant risks in a fight that most said could not be won.
This decision closes the door on the 4-year battle over the proposed $1.4 billion power transmission line. This high-voltage transmission line would have connected Calvert County, in Southern Maryland, to the Indian River power plant in Delaware, by way of the Chesapeake Bay, and up the Choptank River. Dorchester County and the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy strongly opposed the inadequately planned project that would have traversed sensitive areas and unnecessarily imported fossil fuel produced energy to our region.
Looking ahead, needed is a Delmarva Peninsula powered with energy that is renewable, produced locally, and creates local jobs. Instead of clearing agricultural lands for transmission lines while crossing vital areas, we should be asking how we can save money by producing our own electricity that isn’t derived from finite resources.
ESLC applauds the efforts of all who helped stop this project and is encouraged by a future where the Eastern Shore is a leader in renewable energy. Let’s make sure the energy decisions we make now are ones that continue to preserve our land, our independence, and our way of life for generations to come.
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