Robert P. Casey Jr.
Stop Pennsylvania from Becoming a Power Lines Superhighway
Stop Pennsylvania from Becoming an Electric Transmission Line Superhighway
Join me in the fight to protect Pennsylvania's right to decide its own energy future. The U.S. Department of Energy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission have a sweeping new authority that allows them to overrule and ignore the wishes of states and site power lines wherever they choose. Known as "National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors," these are areas of the country where transmission companies have been given new power to go directly to the federal government and site high voltage lines through a federal appeal process of the state decision. Nearly 75% of our counties are included under this broad new designation. What does this mean for Pennsylvania?
- Communities and farms across the state may be subject to broad new federal authority over transmission line projects that don't even serve the customers in our state.
- Alternative sources of energy such as clean local generation, energy conservation and energy efficiency are less economically viable. These options are all but foreclosed in favor of new transmission lines.
- Pennsylvania’s commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is undermined. Transmission lines planned with the NIETC designation serve primarily coal fired power plants.
We already generate electricity for many states in the northeast and mid-Atlantic. Now we could have significantly more fifteen story transmission towers crisscrossing our state to provide other states with more electricity. Power lines might be necessary at some point in the future, but they should not be the first and only option for providing reliable electricity.
Please join me in signing this petition if you agree that we need to rethink this program and take into account the views of Pennsylvanians and our views on the future of our state.
Learn More
Sign The Petition
We reject a one-size-fits-all program dictated from Washington to site electric transmission lines. We want a process for siting transmission lines that: includes full and open public hearing, good-faith consideration of public comments, alternative methods of relieving electricity congestion, locally-sited power generation, and balances potential impacts to state renewable electricity and global warming initiatives.
We need a program to secure clean and reliable energy, not a narrow-minded program that ignores the will of the people. The answer is not the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors program.