FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                  CONTACT:   

March 6, 2008                                                                                                 Doug Rohanna

                                                                                                                        717-783-1116

Neil Weaver (DEP)

717-787-1323

Governor Rendell Comments on US DOE Decision on Transmission Lines

HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell expressed disappointment today as he responded to the U.S. Department of Energy’s decision to deny requests to rehear the federal government’s Mid-Atlantic Transmission Corridor designation.

“Today’s late-breaking news from Washington is another disappointment for our citizens and another blow to commonwealth’s long-standing right to regulate the construction of transmission lines within our borders,” said Governor Rendell. “While we’ll continue to review this decision, the people of Pennsylvania can rest assured that we’re committed to using every available avenue to challenge this decision. It’s not right that these lines will cross our land and diminish our property values, but deliver no real benefits to most areas of the state.”

At the Governor’s direction, the Department of Environmental Protection filed an application for rehearing, of the DOE’s Oct. 5 order designating the Mid-Atlantic corridor, which includes 52 of the commonwealth’s 67 counties.

The commonwealth cited the following reasons for its request:

· The Federal Powers Act requires that any corridor be narrowly drawn and limited only to those areas that are experiencing electric energy transmission constraints or congestion. In many parts of the 52 Pennsylvania counties affected, that is not the case.

· The DOE failed to consider any alternatives prior to designating the corridor.

· DOE never prepared an environmental impact statement prior to making its decision as required in the National Environmental Policy Act.

· The federal government neglected to consult with the commonwealth in a timely fashion while studying transmission congestion, and failed to consider the state’s comments.

· The DOE abused its discretion in choosing to designate the corridor.

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