Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (TrAILCo), a subsidiary of Allegheny Energy, Inc. announced today that the evidentiary hearing for a new 500-kV transmission line will begin Monday, Feb. 25 in Richmond before the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

During the hearing, TrAILCo witnesses – including a representative of PJM Interconnection, the regional grid operator that directed the line to be constructed – will testify to the need for the line, the proposed route, and more. TrAILCo has also filed rebuttal testimony in connection with the hearing to address direct testimony of other parties, including opponents of the line. Evidentiary hearings are on-the-record proceedings that allow for the cross-examination of witnesses and a thorough vetting of all evidence related to a specific project.

The line is critical to the ongoing reliability of the grid to meet the growing demand for electricity. In Allegheny Power’s Virginia service territory, historical summer peak loads grew by more than 60 percent between 1995 and 2005.

PJM, the organization responsible for the transmission grid for a 13-state area, warns that without TrAIL, the stability of the grid and reliable flow of electricity within the region cannot be reasonably assured. This could result in blackouts, voltage disruptions, and brownouts throughout the region, including Virginia, as soon as 2011.

Independent consultants assisting the commission staff recognize the need for a new 500-kV transmission line to serve growth in the Mid-Atlantic region and Northern Virginia, and largely agree with its proposed route.

“The conclusions reached by the independent consultants support the careful evaluation we’ve undertaken to address reliability shortcomings in Northern Virginia,” said David E. Flitman. “This independent review is further evidence that TrAIL is the right solution to keep the lights on for years to come.”

The transmission line is targeted for completion in 2011, and will span Allegheny Power’s transmission zone from Southwestern Pennsylvania through West Virginia to northern Virginia. Within Virginia, the line will run about 28 miles through Frederick and Warren counties generally adjacent to an existing 500-kilovolt transmission line, reaching an interconnection point with Dominion Virginia Power about a mile and a half south of Interstate 66. Dominion will build the line from that point to its Loudoun Substation in Loudoun County.