Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line Company (TrAILCo), a subsidiary of Allegheny Energy, Inc. announced today that the Public Service Commission of West Virginia has issued an order relating to the construction of its 500-kilovolt transmission line project.

Responding to a petition by TrAILCo, the Commission reconsidered two critical aspects of its August 2008 order authorizing construction of the line:

• The Commission will allow TrAILCo to build its transmission line in segments upon filing verifications that various permits and other approvals have been obtained for a specific segment of the line before the start of construction on that segment. The Commission’s initial order would have prevented TrAILCo from beginning construction on any West Virginia segment until a hearing was held and a determination made as to whether all pre-construction permits and approvals had been obtained and all pre-construction conditions had been met for the entire length of the line in the state.
• The Commission will not require TrAILCo to install a Static VAR Compensator (SVC) at the Meadow Brook Substation in Virginia. The SVC, with an estimated cost of more than $58 million, would no longer be necessary to provide voltage benefits once the line is in service.

The Commission’s order also denies petitions for reconsideration filed by other parties.