A controversial electric transmission line planned in northern Virginia received approval from state regulators Monday. The line is aimed at providing more electricity to rural areas in the state, and, pending approval in Pennsylvania, will be part of a larger, 250-mile line running through Virginia, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Dominion Virginia Power says that without the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line, or TrAIL, the area could see rolling blackouts starting in 2011, as an eight-percent increase in demand has caused by instability in the electrical grid. Critics say the project will damage the environment and create an eyesore in an area with aesthetic and historical significance.
The project still hinges on approval by Pennsylvania. "West Virginia officials have agreed to their portion, but Pennsylvania has not made a decision on the mile within its borders," Sandhya Somashekhar writes for LoudounExtra.com. "A decision is expected any day, and a denial could derail the Virginia section." (Read more)
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