PSC Directs Staff to Facilitate MPRP Procedural Schedule
June 26, 2025
Media Contact: Tori Leonard | tori.leonard@maryland.gov
(BALTIMORE, MD) – The Maryland Public Service Commission has directed the Commission’s Technical Staff to work with the other parties to develop a procedural schedule in the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) case. A pre-hearing conference was held on June 10, 2025 to discuss the schedule, but there was no consensus on the timeline, with disagreement on whether PSEG Renewable Transmission LLC’s application could be considered complete without required field studies.
The Power Plant Research Program (PPRP), a division of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, evaluates the application, on behalf of multiple state agencies, for environmental and other impacts to the state’s natural resources. PPRP contends that PSEG’s application lacked required field surveys and information that would provide specificity regarding these impacts and why route alternatives were rejected, including those with minimal environmental impacts, and why PSEG did not address rebuilding or using existing parallel transmission lines for the project.
Landowners of properties along PSEG’s chosen route denied the company access to conduct field studies; PSEG subsequently filed for an injunction in federal court to permit access – that injunction was granted on June 20, 2025. In light of the federal court’s decision affirming PSEG’s right-of-access, the Commission has directed its Staff to facilitate between PSEG and PPRP regarding the time required to produce the field studies and the feasibility of proceeding without them. The Commission directed that Staff file a proposed schedule within 30 days.
The Commission also directed PSEG to provide, within 30 days, all information required by PPRP regarding its routing study and alternative transmission line routes.
After receiving Staff’s recommendations, and any comments from the parties, the Commission will determine the appropriate schedule that balances the Commission’s need for a thorough public interest review with PSEG’s request for expedited proceedings.
On December 31, 2024, PSEG filed an application for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) for authority to construct the MPRP. As proposed, the MPRP is an approximately 67-mile, 500 kV overhead transmission line that traverses portions of Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. PSEG says the project is necessary to ensure reliability of the electric grid serving Maryland.