Published June 23, 2008 10:36 pm - Orwell Village Council passed legislation to be an intervenor party supporting the $20 million, 138 kV transmission line project proposed by Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and American Transmission Systems, Inc.
What a shock! Orwell Village enters as intervenor in CEI power case
By DORIS COOK - Staff Writer Star Beacon
ORWELL — Village Council passed legislation to be an intervenor party supporting the $20 million, 138 kV transmission line project proposed by Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and American Transmission Systems, Inc.
Council’s resolution passed Friday authorized Mayor Larry Bottoms and village attorney David McCombs to represent the village at hearings on the power line project before the Ohio Power Siting Board.
“We want and need this power now. The project has been talked about by CEI officials for five years,” Bottoms said.
Questions of the electric service adequacy and reliability on the existing distribution circuits out of eastern Geauga County affect village residents, commercial and manufacturers in Orwell, officials said.
The proposed 138 kV power line routes by CEI and its parent company, FirstEnergy, has been opposed by an ad hoc citizens group, Citizens Advocating Responsible Energy (CARE). The location of the proposed transmission line corridor has both a preferred and alternate route.
FirstEnergy’s preferred route would run from the Ruth substation next to the Geauga Park District’s Maple Highlands Trail on Route 322 north to its main line. Park district. Chardon officials are on record opposing this routing.
The proposed additional power line is designed to supply both Middlefield and Orwell with more reliable electric service, said Bottoms. Existing substations linking power east to Orwell Village and down to Middlefield are overloaded, say CEI officials.
Middlefield Village Council on June 5 adopted legislation supporting the most expedient route to get power line built, said Village Administrator Dan Weir.
CARE members are comprised mostly of landowners along the east side of Route 528 in Huntsburg, Montville and Thompson townships. In September, FirstEnergy submitted the application to put the line along a Route 528 corridor to the OPSB.
A series of public hearings were held in 2007 for interested parties to give their input. Testimony taken at those hearings is part of the case record assembled by Janet K. Stoneking, administrative law judge for the OPSB.
Stoneking on June 16 denied relocating the adjudicatory hearing from Columbus to Geauga County, requested by CARE’s legal counsel.
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