Today, statewide non-profit Preservation Maryland joined a growing number of organizations, landowners, elected officials, conservationists, and preservationists in voicing its opposition to the proposed route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).
Project Could Negatively Impact Historic Resources Across Three Counties
The MPRP project, which proponents describe as a “critical system enhancement” would construct an approximately 70-mile-long high-voltage electricity transmission line across Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties. It would traverse some of the most significant historic and scenic areas in Maryland’s Piedmont region, putting irreplaceable heritage sites, hundreds of acres of permanently protected farmland, locally owned agritourism businesses, and thousands of acres of public-and-private conserved lands at risk.
Questions Remain about Future Energy Need Forecasts Driving Project
Preservation Maryland also shares the concerns raised recently in a letter drafted by the Maryland Office of People’s Council, that the broader energy transmission industry’s load growth projections “may be quite speculative and actual growth could be far less.” As Maryland works towards ambitious climate goals, strategic investments must be made from properly vetted data endorsed by the state’s utility watchdog agency.
A Better Path: Use of Existing Rights-of-Way and More Collaboration
Preservation Maryland calls on project proponents to consider alternative solutions that better align with Maryland’s preservation, conservation, and climate goals and the significant investments the state has made and been committed to for decades in the protection of open space, agricultural lands, and natural and cultural resources.
We support alternative planning focused on use of existing transmission line rights-of-way, thoughtful community engagement, and thorough data analysis to avoid the costly impacts of the project as proposed. There is a better path forward that does not include the use of eminent domain or cause the degradation of our state’s rich heritage and agricultural economic engine.
Below you will find maps depicting the proposed route of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project through Baltimore, Frederick, and Carroll Counties, as well as a statewide view, and the historic resources and protected land it would impact.
Download High Resolution Maps PDF
