Frederick and Carroll Counties are being inundated with development projects which can affect our environment in many ways. It is important for all of us to get involved and make sure to make your voice is heard on these issues that will have a lasting impact. If you are concerned about one of these issues, make a phone call, write an email, or show up for meetings. We can't win every battle, but we will surely face lasting impacts if we do not even try.
ACTION ALERT!
Data Center Referendum needs your signature and help!
On December 23rd, the Frederick County Council voted to remove nearly 1000 acres of agricultural land in the Priority Preservation Area and State Rural Legacy, something that has never been done before in the county.
Despite the Planning Commission’s recommendation to limit the data center zone to that of the current East Alcoa site, by a 5-2 margin the Council voted to create the Critical Data Infrastructure (CDI) Overlay Zone of over 2,600 acres - 1,000 acres more than the Planning Commission had recommended.
The action was against the objections of the majority of engaged constituents, Adamstown residents, the Farm Bureau and bipartisan members of the county’s delegation to Annapolis.
We have received the following email from the Frederick County Data Center Referendum Committee that we are pleased to share:
In the County Charter, and in State Law, the citizens have the right to file a Referendum for Petition to put this on the ballot for the citizens to decide. We, the Frederick County Data Center Referendum Committee, have been working tirelessly to create a process for getting a Referendum Petition before the citizens of Frederick County in an effort to limit the data center expansion and to protect the PPA and RLA land through a ballot initiative.
We need your organization's help in obtaining signatures as we are estimating we will need about 18,000 registered voters to sign this petition within 59 days!
Would you please consider sending an email to your members asking for volunteers to help gather signatures?
As a first step, we need to collect volunteer contact information, volunteer interests, and availability for training. To gather this information in an organized way, we request that you complete this Google form within 2 days of receipt of this request. Here's the link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfcpAlerNytOsceVFzXHbMALsiwh4K8Or4HkPV1tXqxpWvyLQ/viewform
As noted in the Google form, all volunteers must attend a training session, which we will begin offering on January 17. Training will take approximately one hour, and will be regularly scheduled throughout the rest of January and February. Given the short time frame for collecting signatures, it is important that the effort gets off to a very strong start so we ask that you attend the first training for which you are available.
The training will cover an explanation of the effort underway, the rules and procedures for signature collection, how to return completed petitions, and the processes we will be using to manage and track the effort.
We need hundreds of volunteers to contribute to the collection of signatures, employing multiple methods--from asking friends and family, to staffing tables at various Frederick County locations (which we will need help identifying) and, by going door-to-door to talk to and inform neighbors across the county. As such, please feel free to share this email with others if you believe they may be interested in helping the effort.
Next step would be to ask your organization to consider organizing and tabling a signature gathering event at a location of your choosing. We need to spread this out and delegate as much as we can in an effort to obtain all the signatures we need. Your organization's involvement is critical to our success. Would you be interested in helping in this manner?
Please respond ASAP to fc.dc.referendum@gmail.com.
Proposed Projects
MPRP
Concerned about the MPRP and how it will affect Frederick County? Then you should stay informed about the County Council's actions as they consider zoning for Data Centers! More data centers means more transmission lines will be needed. So take action today! Attend the County Council meetings on this issue and contact your county council members. Or visit Sugarloaf Alliance for more information.
The Piedmont Reliability Project is a proposed approximately 70 mile high voltage transmission line that would impact the regions of the Greater Baltimore and Catoctin Sierra Club groups (Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties). The transmission line would go through significant acreage of farmland and other lands, with the possibility to adversely impact conservation easements. PSEG, the company that would build the line, has filed for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN) with the Maryland Public Service Commission.
Every voice matters, and there are critical actions you can take in the weeks ahead to help stop this project. They’ll zoom out, too, to look at the broader picture, including legislative efforts and key federal-level developments that could affect the fight.
The preferred route has been chosen for this project. Click here for an interactive map showing the current proposed location of the power line. The issue is now being reviewed by the Maryland Public Service Commission. If you would like to make your voice heard on this issue, here are two ways to get involved, from Stop MPRP (see below):
What is MPRP?
The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) is a critical system (grid) enhancement (update) that has been awarded to Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) by PJM, the Regional Transmission Organization (RTO) responsible for operating and planning the regional electric grid in all or parts of thirteen states, including Maryland.
The MPRP is a 500,000-volt (500 kV) transmission line designed to respond to growing electric needs in Maryland and the surrounding region. Transmission reliability is key to supporting Maryland’s energy future.
The approximately 70-mile proposed transmission route spans three counties, westward from the connection point within the existing Baltimore Gas & Electric transmission line right-of-way in northern Baltimore County, through Carroll County, and into the existing Doubs 500kV Station in southern Frederick County.
The current project seems to be driven in large part by the electricity needs of proposed data centers in Frederick County and northern Virginia. We all recognize that electricity demand is growing rapidly, with the move away from fossil fuel for transportation and residential and commercial HVAC use. However, this project appears to be moving forward across environmentally sensitive areas and private property without allowing time for significant input from environmental groups or affected residents.
There are several ways you can get involved. We will try to provide major updates on this page as they become available. Also, a group of concerned citizens from Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick Counties have formed Stop MPRP. Their website updates almost daily, and provides information on how you can help. The most effective way is to make your voice heard, by showing up at meetings and writing letters to your city, county, state and federal legislators. You are also encouraged to write the Maryland Public Service Commission at piedmontcomments.psc@maryland.gov. Be sure your neighbors and friends are aware of the project, and encourage them to make their voices heard as well.
For the latest news and updates on the progress of this project, please check the Stop MPRP website.
Proposed Solar Facility in Rocky Ridge
Chaberton Energy, a company based in Rockville, has proposed a five-megawatt solar facility to be built near Thurmont, MD. If you would like to comment on this proposal, use the Public Service Commission’s “e-file” system for filing. Instructions for e-filing are found under the “Tools” section of the Commission’s website under the “Make a Public Comment” tab, which can be accessed via the following link: https://www.psc.state.md.us/make-a-public-comment/
Carroll County Proposed Solar Energy Projects
There are seven solar projects currently under review by the Maryland Power Plant Research Program. Per an article in the Carroll County Times, the projects are located throughout the county in the following locations:
- Old Westminster Road, Westminster
- Sullivan Road, Westminster
- Littlestown Pike, Westminster
- Fannie Dorsey Road, Sykesville (2 projects)
- Pleasant Valley Road, Westminster
- Cape Horn Road, Hampstead
If you are interested in these projects, contact the Maryland Public Service Commission.