Pike County Commissioners address proposed 69kV transmission line

On Wednesday, May 6, the Pike County Commissioners responded to community concerns about FirstEnergy’s 69kV Transmission Line Reliability project at the first meeting of the month.

Taylor Meise from Stop FirstEnergy in Pike County spoke to the attendees and the board to summarize concerns about the transmission line project and requested to hear the board’s comments. He also asked to hear their feelings about the potential for eminent domain to be taken against those individuals who refuse to approve the project on their properties.

Commissioners share concern for residents and need for infrastructure

Commissioner Christa Caceres spoke first, asking for some extra details and clarification to inform her response, while emphasizing that she would support a route that negatively affects the fewest people.

“I absolutely support an alternate route that would provide the least amount of headache and heartache to our community,” she said. “But I also, at the same time, support progress, and I don’t know to what extent this would actually be truly beneficial to us as a county as opposed to the utility company.”

She later addressed the potential for eminent domain, saying, “I am absolutely against eminent domain of any kind. I stand behind any resident that would face losing their home and/or property that’s been passed down for generations for this particular project.”

Commissioner Ron Schmalzle commented by saying, “I don’t support the route. I do support that we need to continue to build infrastructure and improve reliability and create capacity for businesses that may want to come into the area...It’s a conflicting view of this.”

He cited areas in the county that have benefited from a previous transmission line project, noting that those areas have been positively impacted in terms of reliability. However, Schmalzle understands the potential for this project to negatively affect many residents and would prefer a route that benefits the most residents.

“This is going to happen,” says Commissioner Matt Osterberg<br />
Commissioner Matt Osterberg said that in 2023, the board requested looking into other potential routes that affect fewer people, but that the board does not have the power to strike the project down at their level. He added that he feels the project will happen one way or another, as was the case with the natural gas pipeline built over a decade ago.

“We don’t want this to be taking people’s property if they don’t need to; that’s why we’re asking them to look at another route,” he said. “I’m just going to be honest with you - this is going to happen. I’ve been around this a long time.”

He then spoke about the pipeline project from the early 2010s, during which there was significant opposition, as well as “tens of thousands of dollars” spent on attorneys, only for the project to be approved and completed anyway. Although the project was completed, the route was altered due to the significant pushback.

Osterberg then spoke on the potential economic benefits of building out the area’s infrastructure, asking, “Isn’t it better that we figure out how we can have some type of sensible infrastructure and then have some sensible economic development in the county...?” He continued, “I feel bad that somebody may be impacted by this, but we’ll have these meetings with them [FirstEnergy] and try to mitigate, as much as we can, the harm.”

FirstEnergy Response

In response to a request for comment, Lauren Siburkis, the program manager for transmission communications for FirstEnergy said, “We study many options and balance environmental limits, safety, cost and land use, and we work to reduce impacts to homes as much as possible while still meeting the project’s needs. We respect the history of family properties and will continue to work in good faith to find solutions that avoid the need for eminent domain whenever possible.”