PowerWVNow

Happy birthday, America! As we celebrate our freedom, retired Major General William Crane says our economic independence relies on strengthening our electric grid. Learn why. reliableaffordableenergy.org/independence-r…

As America marks its 250th anniversary, it’s worth remembering that every generation inherits responsibilities as well as freedom. Our predecessors built the infrastructure that powered the future. Modernizing the electric grid is one way we can do the same for our future. reliableaffordableenergy.org/independence-r…

America’s generals have long understood the importance of infrastructure. For Washington, it was canals. For Sherman, railroads. Ike had his highways. For Major Gen. William Crane (Ret.) it’s electric transmission. Learn why he says our Independence runs on power – and what West Virginia must do. reliableaffordableenergy.org/independence-r…

When members of the Farm Bureau ask hard questions about the #MARL transmission line, they’re getting solid answers. Grid modernization doesn't have to come at the expense of farmers and rural landowners. Done right, it means direct engagement, fair compensation, and a commitment to leaving the land the way you found it. Read the full story: wvnews.com/garrettrepubli…

"America turns 250 this year. It is a moment to reflect on what self-reliance requires in the 21st century. For West Virginia, one answer is clear: a stronger electric grid. We cannot claim energy independence or economic strength while relying on portions of a transmission system more than 50 years old." wvgazettemail.com/opinion/op_ed_…

President Trump is right – our electric grid is obsolete and can’t keep up with modern demand. Or as he says, “the grid is broken and tired and old and a mess.” We support his call to fix it as a national economic priority. WV families, businesses, manufacturers and workers all deserve a modern grid that keeps the lights on and our economy humming. The #MARL and #ValleyLink lines both bring reliability as well as economic benefits to West Virginia and will help achieve President Trump’s goal of restoring America’s grid.

A proposed power line (#MARL) will make it easier to put West Virginia coal power on the grid (4 WV coal-fired plants will feed into it). It will provide $133 million in property tax benefits & millions in wages to WV workers - and reliable power to our state. Denying that MARL benefits WV isn't based on facts, it's a deliberate choice to ignore them. #WVLeg

Read Rebecca McPhail's op-ed here: wvpress.org/breaking-news/…

73,000 West Virginia oil & gas workers depend on a reliable electric grid. Incoming WV Oil & Gas Association President Rebecca McPhail says it plainly: aging lines, limited capacity, and chokepoints are putting that reliability in doubt. West Virginia leaders can't afford to wait.

Once again @TJMeadows304 on #MARL: The claim that MARL provides no benefit to West Virginia simply doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. WV is either an energy state or we’re not. The grid is part of that strategy. This project clearly allows us to export megawatts - our product. That keeps electric bills low, brings more coal and gas to market and employs West Virginians. #WVLeg

To put a cap on this topic, I spent some time reviewing transmission mapping / making some calls to various industry contacts last night. MARL will originate at Junction 502 in Greene County, Pennsylvania. That’s well known. Junction 502 is what’s known as an interconnection point — essentially a major location where power can move onto different portions of the grid. Several West Virginia generating stations have ties into that interconnection, including Fort Martin, Harrison, Mitchell, etc. and so on. So how can anyone credibly argue there is no “economic” benefit to West Virginia? If West Virginia plants are connected to the same network and can move power to growing load centers, that creates additional demand for West Virginia-generated electricity and the fuels that support it. It provides greater market exposure for West Virginia generators, creates opportunities for additional off-system sales (those monies largely come back to customers to help keep bills lower than they would otherwise be), and strengthens access to regional markets while also leaving congestion / enhancing reliability. All benefits. None of that dismisses legitimate concerns from affected landowners. Those concerns are real and deserve to be heard and mitigated. Developers should go out of their way to avoid landowners who do not want the line on their property. But, again, the claim that MARL provides no benefit to West Virginia simply doesn’t hold up under scrutiny. Electrons will flow where they flow in the physical market… but clearly expanding the energy flow capability of an interconnection point - Junction 502 - that has WV plants running today connected to it is a positive. Here’s the argument: WV is either an energy state or we’re not. The grid is part of that strategy. This project clearly allows us to export megawatts - our product. As I type this, WV is exporting more than 1,500 MWs - our product - out of state into the market. That keeps electric bills low, brings more coal and gas to market and employs West Virginians. In or or out on being an energy state, that’s up to the people, but let’s understand what we’re talking about here. @ChrisRoseWV @BrianHeltonWV

A response from @TJMeadows304 to Sen. Chris Rose: "The proposed [MARL] line would help relieve some of that congestion and improve the grid’s overall ability to move power across the region. That matters to West Virginia..." And: "To argue this transmission line provides no benefit to West Virginia ignores the reality that many of the benefits we enjoy today stem directly from participation in an interconnected grid, and the fact that this line is needed to make that grid function efficiently and reliably..." #MARL #WVLeg wvmetronews.com/2026/06/11/sen…

OP ED: West Virginia Can Power America’s Future lootpress.com/op-ed-west-vir…

@BaBossio Transmission and distribution aren’t separate issues. They are two parts of the same system. reliableaffordableenergy.org/you-cant-fix-y…

Nearly all faults are on distribution. New transmission won't help that at all. #STOPMARLTransmissionLine

NextEra Energy touts benefits of MARL line, hopes to answer questions of West Virginians - WV MetroNews wvmetronews.com/2026/05/19/nex…

Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in Mineral County. Agile5 Tech in Mon County. Aurora Flight Sciences in Bridgeport. These West Virginia companies employ more than 10,000 people in the state and power more than $1 billion in annual U.S. defense contracts. And a retired Army Major General says our aging electric grid is putting all of it at risk. Unreliable power doesn't just inconvenience manufacturers. It disrupts military supply chains, ruins sensitive materials, and weakens national readiness. The fix starts with modernizing WV's transmission infrastructure. Here's why Maj. Gen. William Crane (Ret.) says it matters. lootpress.com/opinion-nation…

"National security doesn’t begin at the Pentagon. It begins at the factories and power lines that keep America’s defense industry running. It begins right here in West Virginia." #NationalSecurity #NationalDefense #WestVirginia

Our electric grid was built for this era. Times have changed. Our grid hasn't kept up.

West Virginia's power grid is 50 years old. The average WV home now uses 2–3x more electricity than it did when that grid was built. The math stopped working a long time ago. And now our grid isn’t working. PowerWVNow.org

Make National Small Business Week a clear voter signal in West Virginia: Fix the grid! 65% are more likely to support candidates who will fix the grid. Make sure they hear from YOU. Demand reliable power. bit.ly/48HBlcM #SmallBusinessWeek