Proposed new Derry-Ligonier power line to follow path of existing one
Rosslyn Kemerer is breathing a huge sigh of relief now that a proposed new high-voltage power line connecting Derry and Ligonier is set to bypass her family’s small Ligonier Township farm.
Others who have property in the path of the utility line FirstEnergy expects will help minimize power outages may not be as pleased.
“We’re incredibly relieved,” said Kemerer, who raises chickens, ducks and honeybees with her husband, Dave, on eight acres of land along Orme Road they’ve dubbed Our Nook of the Woods. “We have a 3-month-old baby and we’re looking forward to staying put.”
The southernmost of four potential line routes First- Energy subsidiary Keystone Appalachian Transmission Co. was considering earlier this year came within the vicinity of the Route 30 corridor and would have cut through the center of the Kemerer property.
Rosslyn Kemerer was concerned that the power line could have had ill effects on the family’s animals, possibly interfering with the behavior of their bees.
FirstEnergy announced this week that it has selected a different line route that would pass further north over Orme Road and would parallel an existing transmission line for much of its length of 8 miles or more.
Carol Overly’s family lives farther north along Orme Road, closer to where the existing transmission line crosses over the road and where the new line would join it.
“While it doesn’t go right through our property, it will go through our neighbor’s property,” Overly said of the proposed new line. “I think the neighbors kind of feel resigned since there’s already a line through there.
“It’s not great to have a high-voltage power line through your property, but I think it’s going to be done, regardless. For us, I think the biggest impact will be the disruption in our neighborhood when they’re doing the construction.”
“The main consideration in selecting the proposed route was to minimize impacts to environmentally sensitive areas, property owners and communities,” said FirstEnergy spokesman Will Boye.
The Loyalhanna Watershed Association had expressed concern that the southern line route would be “the most detrimental to the scenic green space preservation within the Loyalhanna Gorge and Route 30 Greenway Corridor Conservation Areas that our organization, as well as our partners from Westmoreland County and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, have worked hard to protect over the past several decades.”
According to a map provided by FirstEnergy, the planned new line would begin at its Bethlen substation on the outskirts of Ligonier Borough and would head northwest, paralleling the existing transmission line through Ligonier Township. Heading into Derry Township, the new line would continue on a fairly straight course — parting from the existing power line, which veers to the south.
The new power line then would cross over Route 217, to the west of West Derry. It would rejoin the existing line along the Norfolk Southern Railway tracks, following the existing line to the Ethel Springs substation on the outskirts of Derry Borough.
FirstEnergy noted the route of the new line might have to be adjusted, depending on the utility’s success negotiating needed easements with affected property owners.
The section of the new line that diverges from the old one typically will require a 100-foot-wide easement, according to FirstEnergy. Where it parallels the existing line, the two will be anywhere from 50 to 70 feet apart, Boye said.
While none of the proposed power line routes directly affect Stephen Cary’s property on Ligonier Township’s Rockliff Lane, he said FirstEnergy’s decision to select the route that is closest to the existing transmission line probably was the best choice.
Cary, who has worked as an engineer in the power switchgear industry, said the selected route makes more sense than the alternate southern route, in part because it’s shorter.
Citing a fractional loss of power that can occur over transmission lines, he said, “When you have a shorter line, every day you’re going to save money.”
Cary also sympathized with Kemerer’s concern about the potential effect of a power line on animals. “I have chickens, too,” he said.
FirstEnergy’s new line is meant to enhance service reliability for about 6,000 Derry Township customers served by the Ethel Springs substation and 5,100 in the Ligonier area served by the Bethlen substation.
Because each substation is powered through a single transmission source, Boye said, those customers will lose electricity if a fault occurs on the respective line. He said the new line will provide a backup power feed for the substations.
FirstEnergy identified the need for a new line last year and presented its plan to regional power grid operator PJM, which coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity in Pennsylvania and 12 other states.
The utility expects to apply to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission by the end of 2025 for approval of the line project. It will conduct a study of wetland, stream and other environmental and cultural resources along the proposed line route.
If FirstEnergy gains approval of the project, construction is anticipated beginning in 2027, with completion slated in the second quarter of 2028.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
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