Feb 28, 2008 2 min read

HARRISBURG – State Rep. Bill DeWeese, D-Waynesburg, announced Wednesday that he and his colleagues are calling for a federal investigation into a power lines law. The House majority leader said he and 38 of his House Democratic colleagues are supporting the efforts of U.S. Sens. Bob Casey and Arlen Specter, who are requesting a U.S. Senate investigation into the implementation of the 2005 federal law that allows power lines to be built across 52 of 67 Pennsylvania counties without input from the state or local authorities.

The federal law “has the potential to disrupt the fundamental balance of power between local, state and federal governments in land use issues,” DeWeese and the others wrote in a letter this week to U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Sen. Pete V. Domenici, the committee’s ranking member.

Since early last year, DeWeese has led the state House of Representatives’ opposition to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) plan to, and subsequent designation of, most of Pennsylvania as a National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor.

DeWeese traveled to Washington, D.C., in April to testify before Congress about the consequences for public and private property regarding these federal electric transmission corridors.

Last month in Harrisburg, DeWeese joined Casey, local community activists and other public officials for a panel discussion on the issue.

In their letter, the state legislators list five factors associated with DOE’s decision. They are as follows:

– Favors the economic interests of energy companies over that of landowners.

– Ignores the will of people and communities who may favor environmentally friendly and less expensive energy alternatives and renewable energy over intrusive and perhaps unhealthy transmission lines.

– Threatens environment, historical and cultural heritage.

– Pre-empts local and state governments’ fundamental and traditional power to decide land-use policies.

– Usurps the authority of states to review, approve and locate transmission lines within their geographic borders.

For more information on DeWeese’s efforts to halt a local electric transmission line proposed through his legislative district, visit his Web site at www.pahouse.com/deweese/powerline.asp.