BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — Following months of back-and-forth and federal lawsuits surrounding the Piedmont Reliability Project, people in Baltimore County were left wondering, is there anything they can do to stop PSEG, the Public Service Enterprise Group, from accessing their property?
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State officials said they're ready to step in.
People in Baltimore County, like Kim Nunn, have been fighting against the Piedmont Reliability Project, trying everything to stop the Public Service Enterprise Group from accessing their property.
"It makes me sad; it makes me very sad that people can have this authority to just go in and overtake these homes and these properties that are so valued by these people," Nunn said.
The project aims to build nearly 70 miles of high-transmission power lines cutting through Maryland.
And PSEG needs access to people's property to conduct environmental surveys first.
"I feel like as a community we need to have our voices heard and maybe make a different and they can maybe do it differently. In this day and age, why do you have to do these huge power lines? I know it's very strong electricity that they need, but what about app the underground—isn't there something else they could do?" Nunn asked.
The company won a federal lawsuit, gaining access to more than 100 landowners' property for the surveys.
Tuesday, it filed another suit against over 200 landowners across Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties.
PSEG says the power lines are needed to sustain the state's long-term power needs, but homeowners aren't buying it.
Wednesday neighbors brought concerns to state officials at a meeting at Hereford High School.
PSEG was not invited but sent us a statement saying,
"PSEG has engaged in extensive efforts beginning in the Fall of 2024 to reach out to the affected landowners to have an open dialogue regarding the types of land surveys that are being requested by State agencies as part of the CPCN process and to obtain voluntary access agreements with landowners to conduct those surveys. Because many landowners refused our efforts, and in order to obtain this survey data information, PSEG previously sought and has obtained a court order confirming that State law allows us to access a number of properties to complete the required surveys. That process continues with the additional properties included in this filing.
We would encourage property owners who are willing to engage in discussions to permit voluntary right of entry to contact us at 833-451-MPRP (6777) or through our website at mprp.com."
Delegate Nino Mangione said the company should've never won the first lawsuit.
"The federal judge - this decision to allow this out-of-state company to invade the private property of landowners without having the permits from the Maryland Public Service Commission, that's where this fight is going," Mangione said.
The Maryland Public Service Commission has scheduled a meeting in the fall to decide whether to allow PSEG to proceed with the entire project.
And Mangione's prepared to speak out for affected landowners.
"I'm actually going to be intervening in the process. I'm going to be what they call an intervener so I can let their story be heard from their elected official. I've been to their farms; I've been to their homes."
He also calls out to Governor Wes Moore to join him in the fight.
In the past, Governor Moore has expressed grave concerns about the project's planning process and its impact on the communities.
