MONONGALIA COUNTY W.Va. (WVDN) — Delegate Geno Chiarelli, R-Monongalia, has joined the Monongalia County Commission and fellow Delegate David McCormick, R-Monongalia, in adding his voice to firmly oppose the proposed MidAtlantic Resiliency Link (MARL) transmission project.
The MARL project, proposed by NextEra Energy Transmission, would construct a 105-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line through West Virginia to deliver electricity from Pennsylvania to Northern Virginia data centers. The Monongalia County Commission unanimously passed a resolution opposing the project earlier this week, citing the risks to local property values, agriculture and the environment, as well as the lack of benefits to West Virginia residents.
“This project may solve an energy transmission challenge for another state, but it would do so at the direct expense of our communities,” said Delegate Chiarelli. “It threatens property values, places undue burdens on our residents through rate increases, and offers no tangible benefit to the people of West Virginia.
“Monongalia County should not be turned into a transmission corridor for out-of-state interests without clear local benefit or consent.”
Delegate McCormick also has spoken against the project, calling the opposition to it a bipartisan push, criticizing the use of West Virginia land and ratepayer dollars to support economic development for Virginia.
“I commend the Monongalia County Commission for taking a strong stand on behalf of our residents, and I appreciate Delegate McCormick’s leadership in calling out the imbalance and unfairness of this proposal,” Delegate Chiarelli added. “West Virginians deserve energy policies that prioritize our communities, not projects that treat our land as a pass-through and our people as an afterthought.”
Delegate Chiarelli pledged his continued collaboration with all local leaders to ensure Monongalia County’s voice is heard and respected as the proposal advances.
