Electric Power Outlook - Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

Three public meetings were held in August 2010. The EIS, anticipated to be completed in fall
2011, will compare the three alternative routes that had been originally considered to determine the
alternative that would minimize impacts to the natural and human resources within the parks and
surrounding areas. NPS is also developing other alternatives that may include relocation of the
project partially outside of park boundaries, installation of portions of the entire upgraded line
underground, installation of the line on the bottom of the Delaware River, an alternative that uses
direct current, or a denial of the request for permits.
The Commission’s approval of construction of a portion of the line is contingent upon the receipt
of the necessary NPS permit, and construction of the project must commence within three years of
the entry date of the Opinion and Order (Feb. 12, 2010). On March 1, 2010, the Office of
Consumer Advocate (OCA) filed a Petition for Reconsideration or Clarification, which was
granted on March 11, 2010, pending further review and consideration on the merits. On April 22,
2010, the Commission denied OCA’s petition, thus reaffirming its previous approval of the
application.
Transmission owners, PPL and PSEG, responsible for construction of the Susquehanna-Roseland
line, have indicated that the line will not be in service until June 1, 2014, or later, primarily due
to delays in obtaining the NPS permit. PJM has developed an operational solution to address the
criteria violations that would otherwise be expected to occur in 2012 without the line.
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