Maryland regulators set timeline for Piedmont power line project review
Maryland regulators on Friday set a procedural schedule for reviewing the Piedmont Reliability Project, a proposed 67-mile transmission line through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties.
The Maryland Public Service Commission approved a timeline that extends beyond what developer PSEG requested.
The New Jersey-based utility 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 says the project is needed to ease congestion on the power grid and prevent regional energy shortages.
What happens next
Under the approved schedule, 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.
Controversy over power line project
The project has drawn opposition from residents who say the power lines could affect private property, farms and ecosystems.
Critics have also raised concerns about impacts to landmarks, including Gunpowder Falls State Park and Prettyboy Reservoir.
In August, PSEG asked U.S. Marshals to accompany survey crews in Maryland, citing alleged threats of violence from property owners when the company attempted to conduct property assessments. The company later said the request for assistance from U.S. Marshals was denied.
