MARTINSBURG W.Va. (WVDN) – Delegate S. Chris Anders (R–District 97) issued a strong public statement opposing the proposed Mid-Atlantic Resilient Link (MARL) transmission line, calling it “an immoral use of eminent domain” that he says benefits Northern Virginia at the direct expense of West Virginia property owners, ratepayers, and long-term economic goals.
The MARL project, spearheaded by NextEra Energy Transmission, would construct a high-voltage power line through parts of West Virginia to deliver electricity to data centers in Virginia. Delegate Anders, who represents Jefferson and Berkeley Counties, blasted the proposal as a violation of private property rights and a betrayal of West Virginia’s own energy and economic strategy.
“This project would forcibly take land from West Virginians—farms, homes, and forests—not to serve our communities, but to feed the tech economy of Northern Virginia,” said Delegate Anders. “It’s an immoral land grab dressed up as infrastructure.”
Anders highlighted four core objections:
Eminent domain abuse: The MARL project would rely on forced seizure of private land for out-of-state corporate gain.
Ratepayer burden: West Virginians could be forced to absorb more than $440 million in new transmission costs, with no improvement in local grid performance or reliability.
Policy sabotage: The project undermines the recently passed Power Generation and Consumption Act (HB 2014), which was designed to attract data centers and industrial development to southern West Virginia through natural gas and coal-fired microgrids—not export that opportunity to Virginia.
No benefit to the Eastern Panhandle: Jefferson and Berkeley Counties would receive no economic or grid improvement while facing the blight and cost increases caused by the line.
“The Eastern Panhandle isn’t facing a power shortage. We don’t need this line, and we certainly don’t need to pay for Virginia’s mistakes,” Anders said. “They’ve destroyed their own energy grid chasing green pipe dreams—and now they want to raid ours to keep the tax revenue flowing.”
Anders is urging the West Virginia Public Service Commission to reject the MARL transmission application in full.
“This project fails every test of fairness, constitutionality, and strategic benefit. West Virginia should not be a pass-through for power—it should be a destination for investment and industry. MARL puts Virginia’s profit over West Virginia’s future. I won’t stand for that.”
