Forum focuses on reliable power grid

By Jessica Legge
Times West Virginian

BRIDGEPORT November 11, 2008 12:09 am

— “A stable, reliable power grid is something that we absolutely have to have,” Nick Fantasia, president of Fantasia Broadcasting and former mayor of Fairmont, said Monday during the West Virginians for Reliable Power forum in Bridgeport.
Fantasia was one of several speakers who offered thoughts on the importance of transmission infrastructure development in West Virginia. The forum, held at the Bridgeport Conference Center, followed previous events in Charleston and Martinsburg sponsored by West Virginians for Reliable Power.
The organization, which focuses on upgrading the electric transmission infrastructure, is made up of more than 80 businesses, trade associations and labor representatives in the state.
Daniel Larcamp, spokesperson for Edison Electric Institute, said West Virginians for Reliable Power and EEI are not supporting any particular transmission project. But he said they are following the Trans-Allegheny Interstate Line (TrAIL), a 500 kilovolt electric transmission line that will connect electric substations in southwestern Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia.
According to Roy Smith from the West Virginia Building and Construction Trades Council, the fairly stable employment levels in the state can in part be attributed to energy. The energy sector offers high-skilled, high-paying jobs, and the council is training record numbers of people to enter into this industry and meet the growing need, he said.
“I think the development of the transmission line is the key,” Smith said.
He said a better, more reliable transmission system is a way to add value to the state’s natural resources.
As a radio broadcaster, Fantasia sees the importance of reliable power daily. A significant number of West Virginians access media electronically, which is a direct benefit of a reliable power system. The stable power grid has left a positive impact on West Virginia and has provided good jobs, he said.
“Stable grid means stable growth,” Fantasia said.
Although the state hasn’t had problems with electric transmission, now is the time to focus on making improvements before other geographic areas start affecting West Virginia. He said the state needs to make sure it is an answer to America’s problems rather than becoming a part of the issues.
Robert McLaughlin, executive director of the I-79 Development Council, has been involved in economic development for about 30 years. Today, many companies are becoming more and more automated and are very susceptible to power outages. Businesses are concerned about the reliability of the power distribution system.
In 2001, rolling brown-outs and black-outs in California unexpectedly hit businesses, and parts of the grid were randomly shut down to protect the entire system, he said. Companies were impacted to a tremendous degree, losing millions of dollars while the system was shut down.
Of course, brown-outs and black-outs don’t just affect job creation, development and businesses, but also put people at risk in their homes. McLaughlin said he supports trying to build and maintain a robust electric service system that West Virginia can market, sell and use to its advantage.
Dr. Tom Witt, director of the West Virginia University Bureau of Business and Economic Research, said the state has been blessed with economic growth but is starting to be impacted by the national economy.
Enhancing the transmission system would create short-term economic impacts as well as benefits in the long-run, he said. These investments would lead to significant tax revenue at the state and local levels and continue West Virginia’s economic growth.
“Going forward, we need to have these types of economic development strategies,” Witt said.
Larcamp said the state needs time to make improvements to the transmission system.
“We have to be ahead of that curve,” he said. “The time to act is now. We are competing for transmission expansion worldwide.”
The country will need an expansive transmission system even more in the future because society’s electricity usage is changing dramatically, Larcamp said. Two DVR’s, for example, consume as much electricity in a year as a refrigerator.
“West Virginia needs to do their share,” he said.
Larcamp said West Virginians for Reliable Power believes that maintaining and increasing the transmission structure in West Virginia is vital to the economy, and this topic requires steady attention.
For more information, visit www.ForReliablePower.org.
E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.