Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline
| Company type | Proposed joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Electric power transmission |
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power Company (subsidiaries) |
| Fate | Project cancelled in 2011; placed on hold by PJM Interconnection |
| Headquarters | United States |
Area served | West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland |
Key people | Terry Boston (PJM President and CEO), Dick Ishler (CAKES President), Will Burns (Sierra Club attorney), Doug Colafella (FirstEnergy communications manager) |
| Products | High-voltage electric transmission line (765 kV) |
| Parent | Allegheny Energy, American Electric Power Company, later FirstEnergy (after acquisition of Allegheny Power) |
The Potomac-Appalachian Transmission Highline (PATH) was a proposed 765 kV electric transmission line extending approximately 290 miles, designed to transmit electricity from the Amos Substation in Putnam County, West Virginia, to a planned facility in Frederick County, Maryland. Ownership and operation of the line would have fallen under subsidiaries of Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power Company if the project had received approval. The transmission route crossed 13 counties in West Virginia, three counties in Virginia, and terminated in Frederick County, Maryland. The Maryland terminus was planned as a substation in Kemptown, situated within a residential community comprising roughly 1,300 homes. This substation was intended to be the largest ever constructed by Allegheny Power. Ultimately, PJM Interconnection cancelled the project in 2011.
2009
The initial regulatory filings for PATH were submitted in 2009. On September 9 of that year, the Maryland Public Service Commission denied the application due to procedural filing deficiencies. PATH was granted a 30-day window to decide on refiling but only indicated consideration of this option. Subsequently, on October 19, 2009, the Virginia State Corporation Commission moved to dismiss the PATH application, citing an inability to evaluate the proposal without a finalized Maryland endpoint. Shortly after, on October 28, an attorney representing the West Virginia Public Service Commission requested dismissal of the PATH application in that state. Both Virginia and West Virginia sought dismissal without prejudice, permitting PATH to resubmit after addressing issues with the Maryland filing.
2010
Allegheny Power pursued a special exception permit to construct an electrical substation on agricultural land within Frederick County. On September 15, they appeared before the Frederick County Planning Commission to argue that the substation conformed with the county’s Comprehensive Plan; however, the commission found both the size and location of the facility inconsistent with planning guidelines. A hearing before the Frederick County Board of Zoning Appeals occurred on September 29 regarding this special exception request. Following multiple hearings, the application was denied on November 18, 2010. Allegheny Power’s subsequent petition for reconsideration was also rejected on December 20.
PJM Interconnection, responsible for managing the regional grid, extended the projected service date for the transmission line multiple times—from an initial target of 2012 to June 2015—in order to address concerns over system overloads. On December 20, Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power (AEP) jointly requested a procedural delay from the West Virginia Public Service Commission concerning the PATH project.
2011
On February 28, 2011, PJM Interconnection asked FirstEnergy—which had acquired Allegheny Power on February 25—and American Electric Power to halt further progress on PATH. PJM President and CEO Terry Boston cited considerable fluctuations in economic forecasts alongside shifting public policies related especially to renewable energy as factors contributing to increased uncertainty in planning efforts. Consequently, both companies withdrew their applications for PATH across Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Dick Ishler, President of Citizens Against the Kemptown Electrical Substation (CAKES), hailed this development as a significant triumph for local opposition groups. Will Burns, an attorney with Sierra Club who conducted extensive research on PATH, expressed hope that this suspension might bring an end to the project entirely. Nonetheless, PJM reserved the possibility of revisiting its decision and potentially reinstating PATH at a later date. Doug Colafella, FirstEnergy’s external communications manager, emphasized that prior expenditures would not be wasted since the project was placed on hold rather than terminated outright.
2012
In August of 2012, PJM Interconnection officially excluded PATH from its forthcoming initiatives, thereby bringing the project's development phase to a close.
2024
On May 8, 2024, the U.S. Department of Energy identified the PATH project as a candidate for designation as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC). Should this designation be granted, it would empower the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission with federal "backstop" permitting authority, enabling the approval and siting of transmission projects despite any state-level rejections, which could lead to a federal revival of PATH.
Kemptown property
In December 2008, PATH Allegheny Transmission Company, LLC purchased two adjoining parcels in Kemptown, Maryland, encompassing 152.2 acres for $6.83 million. These lands, actively cultivated at the time, were acquired from the Browning family entities organized as a limited partnership and a limited liability company. A high-voltage electrical transmission line owned by Baltimore Gas and Electric Company crosses these properties, which are also adjacent to another similar transmission corridor. PATH intended to construct a substantial electrical substation on this location. In September 2010, ownership was transferred internally among PATH Allegheny subsidiaries without any exchange of payment.
On August 22, 2017, the Kemptown properties along with several smaller plots in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia were auctioned publicly. The nonprofit soccer organization F.C. Frederick, Inc., based in Frederick, Maryland, successfully acquired the Kemptown parcels. The transaction was finalized in October 2017 for $1.008 million.