Transource announces power line routes

FRANKLIN COUNTY - Transource Energy on Monday announced its preferred routes in Franklin and York counties for a high-power electric transmission line running from  Maryland through central Pennsylvania. 

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Twenty-nine miles of new overheard electric transmission line will connect a substation to be constructed in Southampton Township, Franklin County to the existing Ringgold substation near Smithsburg, Maryland. 

A map on the company's website shows the power line starting in Maryland, passing Waynesboro on the west, passing Mont Alto on the east, angling northwest through Guilford Township west of Fayetteville, then angling northeast to the new substation.

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Another part of the project involves constructing about 16 miles of new lines between Lower Chanceford Township in York County to Norrisville, Maryland. 

The goal is to alleviate congestion on the high-voltage electric grid, and benefit customers in the region, including parts of Pennsylvania and Maryland, Transource said in a news release. 

Transource plans to file applications for the project with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission and the Maryland Public Service Commission by the end of the year. Construction is expected to begin in 2019, and the line would be operational by mid-2020.

The company hosted various events over the summer and presented more than 250 miles of route options for public review. Some Franklin County residents, including farmers, have opposed the project. "Stop Transource" signs dot farmland in Guilford Township. Some farmers expressed concerns about losing land, and about the power lines affecting dairy cows.

Concerned residents held their own meetings to discuss the impact of the power line on the community. In addition, farmers invited media to a demonstration on Oct. 14 in which about 40 people stood in front of a 130-foot-long line of farm vehicles at Sunny Acres Farm to show what the size of the right-of-way needed for proposed power line towers actually looks like. Other farm equipment was also arranged in a 900-square-foot square to show the base that each 230-kilovolt lattice tower would cover. 

Abby Foster, a community affairs representative for the company, said typical farming practices in both counties will be able to continue in the rights-of-way. She also said that based on the feedback from the community, Transource will use a monopole structure for the towers, instead of the lattice structure which was in the original proposal. 

“By including community members in the siting process, rather than engaging them after decisions were made, we were able to consider and accommodate many landowner requests,” said Transource Director Todd Burns. 

In addition, Foster added that over the next couple of weeks the company will contact  landowners with property on the proposed route. She said during this time, owners can raise issues like potential crop loss during construction or access roads that need to be built, and negotiate compensation. 

"They're really looking to minimize and reduce any impacts that might occur to any agricultural practices," Foster said on behalf of Transource. 

For more information about the project and to view detailed maps of the proposed routes, visit TransourceEnergy.com/Projects/Independence.