The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) today granted the Delaware and Maryland Public Service Commissions’ joint request for rehearing for further consideration of the order issued on April 22 on the Artificial Island cost allocation. The official rehearing will be addressed in a future FERC order.
Delaware PSC Executive Director, Bob Howatt, stated, “We are pleased to find out that our joint request for rehearing has been granted for further consideration. We strongly feel that we have addressed the criteria set by the FERC as to why this project should be treated differently than other transmission projects. We will continue to fight for Delaware in an effort to reduce the cost allocation for this project.”
The project is designed to improve the stability of the power system at Artificial Island, the site of the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear power plants.
As part of that effort, a power line would extend from Artificial Island to a Delmarva substation in Delaware.
The Artificial Island power plants are located some distance away from major population centers that use much of its power.
Maryland and Delaware regulators have argued that the project is mainly designed to benefit other states, with the Delmarva region bearing the brunt of the costs that could run thousands of dollars a month for the larget industrial customers.
Delaware legislators have offered a resolution calling on the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to not issue permits that would allow construction to take place. A DNREC public information officer did not return an email message seeking comment.
For more information on this project, please visithttp://depsc.delaware.gov/ai_project.shtml.
