|
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
|
CONTACT: Tom
Andrews |
Majority Leader Bill
DeWeese |
|
|
|
|
|
|
DeWeese power line resolution takes step forward
House measure seeks repeal of federal Energy Act to stop TrAIL
HARRISBURG, June 4 – In a straight party line vote, Democrats on the House Consumer Affairs Committee today sent to the full House a resolution (H.R. 297) sponsored by Majority Leader Bill DeWeese urging Congress to oppose the designation of national interest electric transmission corridors in Pennsylvania.
“The federal Energy Policy Act of 2005 pre-empts the authority of the Commonwealth to determine future land use policies; a pre-emption that could negatively impact future commercial and residential development and property values in numerous political subdivisions of the Commonwealth,” DeWeese said.
Under the federal act, the Department of Energy may designate areas of the country as national interest electric transmission corridors. Within these areas, state authority over transmission lines may be pre-empted and new federal eminent domain authority would be available for approved electric utility projects.
DeWeese became aware of the deficiencies in the federal law when Allegheny Energy proposed the 240-mile, 500 kilovolt high voltage Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line through southwestern Pennsylvania, including 40 miles in DeWeese’s district.
“What’s surprising to me about today’s committee vote is that every Republican voted against my resolution. I can’t understand how the party that is supposed to be against federal mandates, against big government, and against federal control versus state’s rights could vote against my common-sense proposal. I’m confident that when the measure reaches the full House in the coming days, these same Republicans will recognize the importance of maintaining Pennsylvania’s right to regulate the utility industry in our Commonwealth,” said DeWeese, D-Greene/Fayette/Washington.
In April, the federal DOE released its proposal for a Mid-Atlantic Area National Corridor. Geographically, the corridor designation encompasses all or parts of eight states, including 50 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The DOE will hold a June 13 public meeting in Pittsburgh on the designation. However, the agency has not revealed whether it will hold a meeting in any of the other affected counties in the Commonwealth.
Several hundred residents of southwestern Pennsylvania already have signed the online petition DeWeese is sponsoring in conjunction with other groups dedicated to stopping the TrAIL. It can be found on his Web site at www.pahouse.com/DeWeese.
In late April, DeWeese traveled to Washington, D.C. to testify before the U.S. Congressional Subcommittee on Domestic Policy for the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which is examining sweeping new federal authority to site electric transmission lines throughout the country.
###tma/2007/ l:\print\releases\NIETCresolution2.050