Carroll County organizes to stop Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project

Since plans for the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project were announced, citizens have rallied in opposition to the transmission line, which would cut a 550-foot-wide, 70-mile-long path through Carroll, Frederick and Baltimore counties.

Stop MPRP is among several community advocacy groups to quickly recruit hundreds of members, and the 501(c)(4) nonprofit aims to represent residents of the affected tri-county region, said Director Joanne Frederick, 55.

“We are all stronger together,” Frederick said. “Stop MPRP was formed to represent the residents across all three counties, not to be an umbrella organization, because that’s presumptuous, but to be a mechanism for all of the different advocacy groups to connect together and work arm-in-arm, so we’re stronger.”

PJM, the Regional Transmission Organization responsible for operating power systems that provide energy for all of Maryland, has contracted with the Public Service Enterprise Group to complete the $424 million project , with a proposed date of operation in June 2027. Baltimore Gas & Electric is among PJM’s member companies.

The organization formed last month and has grown to 292 members and 2,375 people on their email list, as of Aug 12. Annual memberships cost $10 for an individual or $15 for a family. Frederick said non-members are welcome to volunteer or donate, and nine board members, three from each county, volunteer their time and energy in helping to lead the organization.

“It’s unusual for an organization to grow this fast,” Frederick said, “I think we can attribute that to the severity of the threat. It’s homes, it’s farms, it’s our way of life. Everyone’s angry and afraid, and wants to take action to stop this. They’re lining up at our side and at the sides of other organizations, to do everything we can to stop it. What’s clear is people are ready to raise their hand, and ready to help and ready to stop this from taking our property, our land and our farms.”

Although the threat of eminent domain being invoked is among the top concerns for many residents, Frederick said that is one important element among many.

“This is such a complex issue,” Frederick said, “and a project with such broad impact.”

Stop MPRP plans to focus its efforts on human impacts, politics, media, and legal recourse. Frederick said the nonprofit will better attain its goals by reorganizing into nine committees, each led by a board member, representing advocacy and outreach, environmental impact, economic impact, agricultural impact, fundraising and development, legal and regulatory affairs, government affairs, communications, and membership and volunteers. Committees are expected to be formed by the end of this week.

Board member Charlotte Hetterick, of Hampstead, 57, said she plans put her event planning, project management, and corporate skillsets to good use.

“Right now we’re working on deciding who’s going to oversee the committees,” Hetterick said. “We’re all going to take some responsibility for that.”

Each committee will meet every two weeks to discuss tasks, reassess objectives, and ensure they are working as collaboratively as possible.

“I got organized in my own mind, the same way I would have gotten organized if a client called up and said, ‘Hey, we want you to help do this project,'” said Frederick, who has owned a consulting firm for several decades. “Usually, we organize large teams of people to make something good happen, but as it turns out, it’s kind of the same thing as to stop something bad from happening.”

Frederick said she learned about the issue at the initial public information session July 9, and organizing disgruntled citizens began immediately

The organization launched its website on July 10, decided to become a nonprofit on July 13, raised $11,245 in donations by Aug. 2, and named its nine board members on Aug. 7, according to Frederick.

“Part of the organization is helping hire some of that expertise,” Hetterick said. “We’re farmers, we’re homeowners, we’re property owners. We’re not necessarily experts on the power grid and, that is something that we’re gonna have to learn about.”

Stop MPRP has also contracted with PilieroMazza, a law firm based in Washington, D.C., that specializes in government contracting, to examine methods the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Department of Energy used to empower PJM to award the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project to the Public Service Enterprise Group. Frederick said it is still unclear if the project is necessary.

“I do expect some preliminary options for legal action from that law firm this week,” Frederick said Monday. “We’ll review those with the board and then make decisions about which of those legal strategies we’re going to employ.”

Any legal action will be filed on behalf of the organization’s members, which makes the number of members significant, Frederick said.

“[We] use membership as a way to raise funds and as a way to have an additional layer of legal standing,” Frederick said

Even if the project is deemed necessary , it will be at the expense of Marylanders, Frederick said. Alternatives to disrupting agricultural land and traditions could include advanced energy storage, an underground power line, or building new power generation stations nearer to where they are needed, she added.

“The key message here is the people have to stand together,” Frederick said, “and there are better ways, there are viable alternatives, and we have to focus on those together and bring those to fruition.”

The organization also plans to continue disseminating information about the project with yard signs, by word of mouth, and by other means. Frederick said it is most important for landowners to know they should not sign anything.

It can be hard to accurately assess the value of farmland, Frederick said, because it generates value and represents long-term economic productivity.

The Carroll County Historic Preservation Committee will meet Tuesday at 7 p.m. to discuss the project’s potential impact on historic sites in Carroll. Hetterick said she attended the committee’s previous meeting, where it was determined that the historic preservation committee can take an official stance with regard to the Maryland Piedmont Reliability project. Tuesday’s meeting, at 225 N Center St. room 003, is free and open to the public.

“I just said everyone needs to be aware that it’s coming through,” Hetterick said, “and it’s going to take a lot to fight it. It’s gonna take everyone in Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties working together. We definitely have to be a united front to try to fight this.”