The estimated cost of a proposed electric transmission line project in northern West Virginia has been raised significantly.
The Mid-Atlantic Resiliency Link would connect power stations in southwestern Pennsylvania to a substation in Virginia via 105 miles of 500 kV transmission lines, crossing through four West Virginia counties: Monongalia, Preston, Mineral and Hampshire.
The Institute for Energy Economic and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) now estimates the cost of the project will be $960 million based on new filings by developer NextEra Energy.
That is double IEEFA’s previous estimated cost of $441 million. The organization warns most of the project’s cost will be borne by ratepayers, estimating West Virginia residents alone will end up footing $572 million—more than three times the 2025 IEEFA initial estimate of $185 million.
“Given the long lead-time for building new high-voltage transmission infrastructure, PJM is planning today for expected data center loads into the early 2030s,” Cathy Kunkel, the report’s author, wrote. “That means ratepayers can expect to see even more proposals for new transmission lines into data center hotspots like northern Virginia as forecasted electricity demand continues to rise rapidly. Even if some of that demand fails to materialize, as IEEFA believes is likely, ratepayers are expected to bear much of the costs of these new transmission projects.”
The project has been approved by regional transmission operator PJM but still requires state regulatory approval.
Last week, the West Virginia Public Service Commission set hearing dates for late October and early November, with a decision due date of March 6, 2027.
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