The Carroll County Board of Commissioners filed an amicus brief in support of the landowners currently fighting the controversial Piedmont Reliability Project in court.
In the newly filed brief, the board is urging the court to reverse a ruling granting the project developers access to the property owners’ lands for site surveys.
PSEG, the New Jersey-based developer of this proposed project, seeks to run 70 miles of overhead transmission lines through three Maryland counties — Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick.
PSEG says the project is needed to ease congestion on the power grid and prevent regional energy shortages.
PJM Interconnection, which operates the power grid in several northeastern states, says that without the project, the region could face blackouts and voltage collapse by June 2027.
Procedural schedule for review set
Earlier this month, Maryland regulators set a procedural schedule for reviewing the Piedmont Reliability Project.
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved a timeline that extends beyond what developer PSEG requested.
PSEGy asked the commission to issue a decision by March 31, 2026, so it could finish construction and have the line in service by June 1, 2027.
Instead, the commission’s schedule pushes final briefs to February 2027, giving regulators more time to examine the project’s potential impact on the electric system.
PSEG allowed surveyors on properties, but without protection
Last April, PSEG submitted a court filing that would force residents to allow surveyors onto their land. Some residents pushed back and filed a court appeal.
However, in June, a federal judge granted PSEG access to 91 properties to conduct surveys. In July, the company filed another motion seeking access to 200 more properties, stating that surveys must be completed before construction can begin.
PSEG requested federal protection after crews were allegedly threatened while attempting to access private land in Carroll County. A judge ruled that surveyors would not be accompanied by U.S. Marshals while on landowners’ properties.
Survey crews and private security personnel faced multiple threats while trying to conduct property assessments at six locations, according to the court filing.
What happens next?
PSEG must file an updated analysis and field studies by March 2, 2026.
Public hearings will take place in each affected county during the weeks of Sept. 21 and Sept. 28, 2026, followed by evidentiary hearings from Dec. 8 through Dec. 18, 2026.
The process concludes with final briefs due Feb. 12, 2027. PSEG may also submit an updated analysis from PJM, the regional grid operator, as part of its March 2026 filing.
Pushback over the powerline project
Residents who are in the path of the powerline project have expressed concerns and anger about potential negative environmental impacts and how the transmission lines may impede personal property.
Some residents said the powerlines would cut through family-owned farms.
A faith-based youth camp and outdoor education center in Carroll County told WJZ that the project would jeopardize the camp experience that they provide to guests, since the transmission line would go through their property.
Hereford resident Janet Stratton said her farm, which has been passed down for six generations, is in the path of the proposed transmission line.
“I realized my childhood dream 30 years ago,” Stratton said. “To have it taken away would be devastating.”
When it comes to environmental concerns, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) said the project poses risks to the bay’s habitat and water quality.
The CBF found that the project has the potential to damage protected forests, nutrient-rich wetlands, and sources of clean water.