BALTIMORE — The Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), has filed a second federal lawsuit, this time targeting more than 200 additional landowners.
These owners are across Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Counties.
The landowners are seeking permission to conduct property surveys for the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. This latest legal action builds on the ruling from PSEG's first lawsuit where a federal judge ruled they could access private properties before the project was approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission.
With this second lawsuit, PSEG aims to gain access to dozens of new properties by suing another round of landowners.
These landowners have filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, challenging the ruling.
The project aims to build nearly 70 miles of high-transmission power lines cutting through Maryland.
Officials claim miles of new power lines are required because Maryland imports 40 percent of its energy, meaning there isn't enough power currently generated to sustain the state's long-term needs.
The proposed power line route is 150 feet wide, spanning beyond Ballenger Creek Pike in Frederick County to Parkton in Baltimore County.
PSEG hopes to conduct these surveys in orders to meet their completion deadline of June 2027.
Critics say the schedule is rushed.
The project has been ill-received by landowners, special interest groups and local county governments, all of which also opposed PSEG's proposed timeline. It is the longest power line greenfield (undeveloped land) project in the state's history.
The project has already faced hurdles after landowners collectively denied the company permission to enter their properties to conduct environmental surveys. PSEG has turned to federal court to gain access claiming it has eminent domain.
