FirstEnergy Corp. Applies to Build Power Line Between Two Ohio Towns

By Brandon C. Baker, The News-Herald, Willoughby, Ohio

Jan. 4–FirstEnergy Corp. on Thursday announced the filing of its formal proposal for a new power line to span about 15 miles between a new substation to be built in Huntsburg Township and an existing transmission line in Madison Township.

The construction application, filed with Ohio Public Utilities Commission’s Power Siting Board, is for the project that would include FirstEnergy building a 138-kilovolt line to serve areas in Geauga and Ashtabula counties.

OPSB spokeswoman Shana Eiselstein said the board could respond to FirstEnergy by the mid-point of the year, depending on how the case proceeds.

“Geauga County and parts of Ashtabula County have experienced significant residential, commercial, and industrial growth over the last eight or so years, far outstripping average load growth in our Ohio service areas,” FirstEnergy’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Richard R. Grigg said in a news release.

“This transmission project is designed to help us continue to provide safe and reliable electric service to our customers in the region.” The latest proposal comes after the filing of the company’s preliminary one, submitted to the OPSB in October. Company officials have said the line would supply energy to the growing industrial areas of the county, strengthening its power grid.

Eiselstein said the OPSB appointed Janet Stoneking, a PUCO attorney examiner, as the administrative law judge to conduct hearings on the proposal. Stoneking will soon announce hearing dates and locations.

“Truly, the ball is in their court,” FirstEnergy spokesman Mark Durbin said.

FirstEnergy gave copies of the application to officials in Geauga and Lake counties, according to the news release. It can also be found in libraries in communities like Chardon and Madison.

With FirstEnergy anticipating the line to cross 87 properties and additional communities like Montville and Thompson townships, trustees and others have said that the proposed route would be too close to too many homes and farms.

FirstEnergy has also identified an alternative route that would originate at a new substation that would be built near the intersection of Clay Street and Mayfield Road in Huntsburg Township. It would interconnect with an existing transmission line in Thompson Township.

“We understand it’s an emotional issue for everybody,” Durbin said. “We just need to do what we need to do to continue to provide safe, reliable service to people in that region.

“It will ultimately be up to the board to determine what the route will be.” Since 1980, the company has tried three times to run power lines through eastern Geauga County. In the mid-’90s, the PUCO approved the “Rachel” line, but it was never built because the company underwent a reorganization at the time.

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