Ratepayers could pay for failed power line projects, Marylanders call for federal action
WBFF FOX45 Baltimore
[{'start': '2.879', 'end': '7.359', 'text': 'As the fight over a 70-mile transmission'}, {'start': '5.040', 'end': '9.440', 'text': 'line project continues to escalate, some'}, {'start': '7.359', 'end': '11.679', 'text': 'in the battle are calling for changes to'}, {'start': '9.440', 'end': '14.639', 'text': 'federal laws governing energy companies'}, {'start': '11.679', 'end': '16.800', 'text': 'and fast. Gary Collins with Spotlight on'}, {'start': '14.639', 'end': '18.320', 'text': 'Maryland spoke with multiple Maryland'}, {'start': '16.800', 'end': '20.640', 'text': 'Marylanders who are now standing their'}, {'start': '18.320', 'end': '23.439', 'text': 'ground and asking for help from the'}, {'start': '20.640', 'end': '25.279', 'text': 'president and federal lawmakers. Demands'}, {'start': '23.439', 'end': '27.599', 'text': 'are growing for change by impacted'}, {'start': '25.279', 'end': '30.160', 'text': 'Maryland residents who say they feel'}, {'start': '27.599', 'end': '32.000', 'text': 'that utility companies are more powerful'}, {'start': '30.160', 'end': '33.680', 'text': 'than local or state governments. Less'}, {'start': '32.000', 'end': '35.840', 'text': 'White says the struggle to stop a'}, {'start': '33.680', 'end': '37.040', 'text': '500,000 volt overhead power line from'}, {'start': '35.840', 'end': '39.719', 'text': 'cutting through his North Baltimore'}, {'start': '37.040', 'end': '43.760', 'text': 'County farm has been brutal.'}, {'start': '39.719', 'end': '46.239', 'text': 'We have constitutional rights and uh'}, {'start': '43.760', 'end': '48.000', 'text': "we're defending them and we're going to"}, {'start': '46.239', 'end': '49.360', 'text': 'continue to. Nine years ago, White'}, {'start': '48.000', 'end': '51.440', 'text': 'fulfilled a dream when he was finally'}, {'start': '49.360', 'end': '53.280', 'text': 'able to buy this land. if a utility'}, {'start': '51.440', 'end': '54.800', 'text': 'company or you know a construction'}, {'start': '53.280', 'end': '59.199', 'text': "company like that's allowed to come in"}, {'start': '54.800', 'end': '60.800', 'text': 'and do something like this um easily'}, {'start': '59.199', 'end': '63.799', 'text': 'then'}, {'start': '60.800', 'end': '66.640', 'text': "um that that's a big issue nationwide"}, {'start': '63.799', 'end': '68.560', 'text': 'that you know needs to be addressed.'}, {'start': '66.640', 'end': '70.240', 'text': "White says he's fired up that even if he"}, {'start': '68.560', 'end': '72.400', 'text': 'and others successfully change the route'}, {'start': '70.240', 'end': '73.920', 'text': 'of the Maryland PM project or cancel the'}, {'start': '72.400', 'end': '76.000', 'text': 'initiative he may still face'}, {'start': '73.920', 'end': '78.960', 'text': 'consequences from the effort. I am'}, {'start': '76.000', 'end': '83.840', 'text': 'paying greatly with, you know, defending'}, {'start': '78.960', 'end': '86.720', 'text': 'this lawsuit. Um, and then ultimately'}, {'start': '83.840', 'end': '89.680', 'text': 'when they are not successful, then our'}, {'start': '86.720', 'end': '92.320', 'text': 'rates are going to go up to cover their'}, {'start': '89.680', 'end': '94.000', 'text': "cost of exploring this project. That's"}, {'start': '92.320', 'end': '96.320', 'text': 'because a federal regulation called the'}, {'start': '94.000', 'end': '98.079', 'text': 'abandonment incentive ensures that'}, {'start': '96.320', 'end': '100.320', 'text': 'utility companies can still make money'}, {'start': '98.079', 'end': '102.880', 'text': 'off a power line project even if the'}, {'start': '100.320', 'end': '104.560', 'text': "effort fails to advance or it's canled."}, {'start': '102.880', 'end': '106.159', 'text': 'An incentive that was granted to New'}, {'start': '104.560', 'end': '107.680', 'text': 'Jersey based public service enterprise'}, {'start': '106.159', 'end': '110.000', 'text': 'group, the power company behind the'}, {'start': '107.680', 'end': '112.079', 'text': 'Maryland PM project that a dissenting'}, {'start': '110.000', 'end': '113.759', 'text': 'federal regulator said was nothing more'}, {'start': '112.079', 'end': '116.000', 'text': 'than a transfer of wealth from consumers'}, {'start': '113.759', 'end': '118.320', 'text': 'to transmission developers and risk from'}, {'start': '116.000', 'end': '122.719', 'text': 'developers to consumers. Do you feel'}, {'start': '118.320', 'end': '125.960', 'text': 'that the that you as a rate payer should'}, {'start': '122.719', 'end': '128.399', 'text': 'be funding private industries'}, {'start': '125.960', 'end': '130.720', 'text': 'speculation to make them more money for'}, {'start': '128.399', 'end': '132.400', 'text': 'their stockholders? No, not at all. they'}, {'start': '130.720', 'end': '136.720', 'text': 'should be paying for it out of their own'}, {'start': '132.400', 'end': '140.560', 'text': 'pocket and if they get approval for a'}, {'start': '136.720', 'end': '142.599', 'text': 'program um or a project then you know'}, {'start': '140.560', 'end': '145.920', 'text': "let's talk about reimbursement from the"}, {'start': '142.599', 'end': '149.040', 'text': 'rateayers but to just speculate and and'}, {'start': '145.920', 'end': '151.760', 'text': 'go out there and and and see if a'}, {'start': '149.040', 'end': '153.280', 'text': 'project you know is viable that'}, {'start': '151.760', 'end': '155.200', 'text': "shouldn't be coming out of my pocket and"}, {'start': '153.280', 'end': '157.840', 'text': 'I think this is the biggest issue we'}, {'start': '155.200', 'end': '159.200', 'text': 'have to just stop Joanne Frederick the'}, {'start': '157.840', 'end': '161.599', 'text': 'founding board member of the citizen'}, {'start': '159.200', 'end': '163.519', 'text': 'opposition group stopping NPRP says many'}, {'start': '161.599', 'end': '165.920', 'text': 'federal regulations are out of date.'}, {'start': '163.519', 'end': '169.360', 'text': 'There is something fundamentally wrong'}, {'start': '165.920', 'end': '172.000', 'text': 'with the system and we should stop these'}, {'start': '169.360', 'end': '174.800', 'text': 'projects. We should stop the MPP and we'}, {'start': '172.000', 'end': '177.200', 'text': 'should stop taking the money off the'}, {'start': '174.800', 'end': '180.400', 'text': 'backs of hardworking farmers across'}, {'start': '177.200', 'end': '184.319', 'text': 'Maryland to enrich a utility company out'}, {'start': '180.400', 'end': '187.959', 'text': "of New Jersey. It is it's madness."}, {'start': '184.319', 'end': '192.080', 'text': "Where's the buck stop? But the president"}, {'start': '187.959', 'end': '194.319', 'text': 'Gary, president of the country can uh'}, {'start': '192.080', 'end': '197.440', 'text': 'come out tomorrow and put a stop to this'}, {'start': '194.319', 'end': '200.879', 'text': 'project and put a stop to'}, {'start': '197.440', 'end': '202.800', 'text': 'uh the regulation as it exists until we'}, {'start': '200.879', 'end': '204.879', 'text': 'have an opportunity to come together and'}, {'start': '202.800', 'end': '208.280', 'text': "make it better. back on White's farm."}, {'start': '204.879', 'end': '210.920', 'text': 'There needs to be some legislation that'}, {'start': '208.280', 'end': '216.000', 'text': 'is more focused on the property owner'}, {'start': '210.920', 'end': '220.640', 'text': "rights and um doesn't give as much power"}, {'start': '216.000', 'end': '222.959', 'text': 'to these utility companies to um to'}, {'start': '220.640', 'end': '225.040', 'text': 'think they own everything and can just'}, {'start': '222.959', 'end': '226.560', 'text': 'come and do what they want. PSG, the'}, {'start': '225.040', 'end': '228.640', 'text': 'utility company behind the Maryland'}, {'start': '226.560', 'end': '230.560', 'text': 'Pedmont project, declined a comment for'}, {'start': '228.640', 'end': '233.440', 'text': "the story. In the meantime, we're going"}, {'start': '230.560', 'end': '235.840', 'text': 'to begin pressing federal lawmakers for'}, {'start': '233.440', 'end': '238.640', 'text': "answers. I'm Gary Collins with Spotlight"}, {'start': '235.840', 'end': '238.640', 'text': 'on Maryland.'}]