Photo by Bill Green Ricky Young, who lives near the proposed Potomac Appalachian Transmission Highline route, questions the project as others wait their turn at Monday’s meeting. About 45 residents attended the PATH meeting.

Friends of Frederick County invited residents Monday to hear Russell Frisby Jr., a representative of the PATH Education and Awareness Team, present plans for the high-voltage interstate electric transmission line through Kemptown.

The meeting was moved from 4 E. Church St. to Winchester Hall after about 15 minutes, in order to accommodate those who showed up.

"There's a lot of misunderstanding of what PATH Education and Awareness Team is and where we are going," Frisby said. "Our mission is to educate residents to make informed decisions."

Simply put, the need for more electricity is desperate, he said.

"Unless new transmission lines are built by 2014, we would probably have blackouts and brownouts," Frisby said. "Right now, we're at 100 percent capacity. By 2014, we would be over capacity."

Maryland's electricity needs have increased 30 percent to 40 percent over the years, but the state is relying on the same grid, he said.

Residents were adamant the lines would pose health and safety risks and affect aesthetics for hundreds of houses in the area.

The residents said Allegheny Power did not include them in its decision to build a substation so close to their homes. Part of the plan -- pairing 500- and 765-kilovolt lines together -- would pose health problems, they said.

"You are essentially ruining the lives of 1,300 people," Richard Ishler said.

Others expressed similar concerns.

"We don't mean to be confrontational, but there's a lot of emotions surrounding this issue," Ricky Young said. "I'm an electrical engineer and very familiar with power. I live 800 feet from the path of the proposed electric line. Please take this map back to your folks and let them see they're placing this substation in dead center of homes."

Several residents cited Allegheny Power's inaccessibility. For some questions, Frisby didn't have answers.

"Is there a way to get answers?" asked Frederick resident Bob White, who moderated the meeting.

"You hit the nail on the head," Young said.

He said he tried to get answers from Allegheny on three separate occasions without luck.

"Allegheny Power has been the most arrogant and least forthcoming," White said. "They do not like to talk to people. Are they set with what plans they have or is there a way for the public to be involved for an amicable solution?"

Frisby said a Public Service Commission process allows input from residents.

"The PSC is more transparent than it used to be," Frisby said.

Frederick resident Doug Kaplan disputed Frisby's claim that burying the transmission line was cost-prohibitive.

"Allegheny has had information that shows the cost would be much less than 10 to 20 times more to bury the lines from West Virginia to Mount Airy ," he said. "Allegheny was asked to do this study and Allegheny refused. It's a matter of trust in the community when it comes to Allegheny."

Public hearings will be held in Western Maryland that will allow testimony, Frisby said.

Joanne Ivancic urged attendees to insist that Leadership in Energy Efficient Design requirements are implemented in their communities.

"Get your homeowners associations to require wind and solar and share your experiences here," she said.

Conservation measures won't save enough power soon enough, Frisby said.

When he was chairman of the Maryland Public Service Commission, Frisby said people used wind and solar during times of high electricity prices, but stopped when prices dropped.

Frederick County Commissioners President Jan Gardner was impressed by the participation.

"There really is a lot of interest here. A community meeting with Allegheny would be very useful," she said.

The construction of a substation is within control of the county board of appeals, Gardner said, to applause.