At a FOX 45 town hall Wednesday night, Maryland lawmakers from both parties spoke out against the controversial proposal to construct 70 miles of high-voltage transmission lines through three counties.

“I think the fact that both Republicans and Democrats are united on this issue … we’ve all raised significant concerns, and I think that has had a chilling effect on the [Maryland] Public Service Commission,” said Del. Jesse Pippy, a Republican representing Carroll and Frederick counties.

Pippy and other opponents of the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) are hopeful that the Public Service Commission will further examine the project. They contend that if the proposed project running through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties is constructed, it would power massive data centers in northern Virginia at the expense of farmers, small businesses and rural communities.

State Sen. Justin Ready, a Carroll County Republican, described MPRP as “another I-95” running from southern Pennsylvania to northern Virginia. Ready said Marylanders would see little benefit from the project overall.

Del. Michele Guyton, a Baltimore County Democrat, contends MPRP would amount to “ripping up” conservation easements and other land agreements long promised to farmers and rural property owners.

“The state of Maryland made a commitment to preserve 600,000 acres of land. The proposed line for the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project would cut that in half,” Guyton said, referring to the Maryland the Beautiful Act of 2023.

Joanne Frederick, president of grassroots group Stop MPRP, believes the Maryland Department of Natural Resources recognizing deficiencies in the proposal is a “big milestone” that will drive the commission to reconsider. She and Guyton both spoke about the need to pursue alternative energy sources that have a greater direct benefit to Marylanders, such as nuclear power.

Frederick also said she initially met with Gov. Wes Moore’s administration about the project last summer, but has not received a response to her requests for a follow-up meeting. She said she does not truly know where the Democratic governor stands on the MPRP issue.

“If he is not going to support rural Maryland, if he is not going to support our farmers, if he is not going to protect our conserved and preserved land and ensure the health of the [Chesapeake] Bay and worry about property values dropping 40%, I would ask him to sit down face-to-face and tell us the truth,” Frederick said.

Moore was invited to Wednesday’s town hall but “denied” the invitation, according to moderator Mikenzie Frost.

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