Morgantown council votes unanimously to oppose Mid Atlantic Link transmission project
August 14, 2025 | Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Morgantown City Council on Tuesday approved a resolution opposing the siting or construction of the Mid Atlantic Link transmission project, voting 6-0 to join the county and other municipalities in registering formal opposition.
The resolution was introduced with sponsorship by Deputy Mayor Butcher and other council members; public commenters Judith Delagarza and Stephanie Hunt urged the council to oppose the project and to seek more public outreach and factual briefings before final votes.
The Mid Atlantic Link project (also mentioned in public testimony as the Morrow project and associated with NextEra Energy) would place high-voltage transmission towers and a wide cleared right-of-way across portions of north-central West Virginia. Judith Delagarza said residents should consider the project’s long-term costs and local impacts and asked the council to pass a resolution opposing the proposal. “These towers are projected to be 160 to 200 feet tall,” Delagarza said, adding that right-of-way widths were estimated at roughly 200 feet and that the project could cross Cheat Lake’s backwaters and shorelines.
Stephanie Hunt, of 220 Front Street, told the council she supported the resolution and urged elected officials to resist “out of state interests” she said have historically exploited West Virginia’s land and resources.
Council members discussed the record and next steps before the vote. Deputy Mayor Butcher noted the resolution was intended to support Monongalia County’s effort; councilors asked staff to invite factual presentations from both proponents and opponents at a future meeting so the public could hear both sides. “I think having either side speaking for or against is getting into a lot of factual information,” one councilor said during discussion.
The resolution passed 6-0. Council members also discussed scheduling a presentation at a future council meeting that would include speakers from the project’s proponents and opponents so constituents could ask questions and hear technical information about routing, regulatory approvals, and potential local impacts.
Background: During public comments earlier in the meeting, Delagarza raised specific concerns about land takings, property-value effects, tourism impacts, and the visual scope of transmission towers. Council members and staff said the county commission had asked other municipal bodies to consider similar resolutions and that presentations to inform the public would be arranged.
The resolution was introduced with sponsorship by Deputy Mayor Butcher and other council members; public commenters Judith Delagarza and Stephanie Hunt urged the council to oppose the project and to seek more public outreach and factual briefings before final votes.
The Mid Atlantic Link project (also mentioned in public testimony as the Morrow project and associated with NextEra Energy) would place high-voltage transmission towers and a wide cleared right-of-way across portions of north-central West Virginia. Judith Delagarza said residents should consider the project’s long-term costs and local impacts and asked the council to pass a resolution opposing the proposal. “These towers are projected to be 160 to 200 feet tall,” Delagarza said, adding that right-of-way widths were estimated at roughly 200 feet and that the project could cross Cheat Lake’s backwaters and shorelines.
Stephanie Hunt, of 220 Front Street, told the council she supported the resolution and urged elected officials to resist “out of state interests” she said have historically exploited West Virginia’s land and resources.
Council members discussed the record and next steps before the vote. Deputy Mayor Butcher noted the resolution was intended to support Monongalia County’s effort; councilors asked staff to invite factual presentations from both proponents and opponents at a future meeting so the public could hear both sides. “I think having either side speaking for or against is getting into a lot of factual information,” one councilor said during discussion.
The resolution passed 6-0. Council members also discussed scheduling a presentation at a future council meeting that would include speakers from the project’s proponents and opponents so constituents could ask questions and hear technical information about routing, regulatory approvals, and potential local impacts.
Background: During public comments earlier in the meeting, Delagarza raised specific concerns about land takings, property-value effects, tourism impacts, and the visual scope of transmission towers. Council members and staff said the county commission had asked other municipal bodies to consider similar resolutions and that presentations to inform the public would be arranged.
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