Maryland Landowners Ask Supreme Court to Block Power Line Surveys

A group of Maryland property owners asked the U.S. Supreme Court on November 5 to take up their challenge to surveys for the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project. The landowners oppose the project and argue that its developer, PSEG Renewable Transmission, should not be allowed to survey their properties without permission.

The proposed line would run 67 miles through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties, crossing about 400 properties. The $424 million project is intended to carry electricity from Pennsylvania toward Northern Virginia, where demand from data centers is putting pressure on the regional grid. The grid operator has said the line is needed to help prevent possible blackouts across its multistate system.

A federal judge allowed PSEG to conduct surveys on properties belonging to people who had not consented. The Fourth Circuit upheld that decision in August. The landowners’ petition argues that the appeals court misread Maryland law by treating PSEG as likely to have authority to use eminent domain for survey access, despite the project not having final approval.

The project remains in Maryland’s permitting process. State regulators require environmental surveys for the permit review, and PSEG has offered some owners a one-time payment of $1,000 for access. The company said most surveys are complete and only a handful remain. It declined to comment on the petition.

The landowners are represented without charge by Pacific Legal Foundation. The Supreme Court receives thousands of petitions each term and typically hears arguments in about 80 cases, making acceptance of the case uncertain.

Grid Reliability Shouldn’t Override Maryland Property Rights

Maryland landowners are asking the Supreme Court to protect their right to refuse access to their property as PSEG Renewable Transmission pursues surveys for a proposed 67-mile power line. Their November 5 petition challenges a ruling that lets the developer enter land owned by people who oppose the project.

The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project would cross about 400 properties in Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties. Its $424 million line is meant to move electricity from Pennsylvania toward Northern Virginia, where data centers are adding pressure to the regional grid. The grid operator says the project is needed to avert possible blackouts across its multistate system, but that need does not settle whether a private developer can compel access before receiving final project approval.

A federal judge permitted the surveys, and the Fourth Circuit upheld that decision in August. The landowners argue the appeals court wrongly treated PSEG as likely to have eminent-domain authority for survey work under Maryland law. The dispute goes to whether property owners can decide who enters their land, even when a major energy project is being advanced in the name of reliability.

The line remains in Maryland’s permitting process, which requires environmental surveys. PSEG has offered some owners a one-time $1,000 payment and says most surveys are done, with only a handful left. The Supreme Court must decide whether to hear the landowners’ challenge; it typically hears arguments in about 80 cases per term, out of thousands of petitions.

Landowners’ Challenge Could Slow Critical Maryland Power Line

A group of Maryland landowners is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in a dispute that could complicate surveys for a major proposed power line. The November 5 petition challenges PSEG Renewable Transmission’s right to survey properties along the route, even as the project remains in the state’s permitting process.

The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project would stretch 67 miles through Baltimore, Carroll and Frederick counties and cross about 400 properties. The $424 million line is intended to move electricity from Pennsylvania toward Northern Virginia. The regional grid operator says the project is needed to help avoid possible blackouts across its multistate system as energy demand from data centers weighs on the grid.

A federal judge allowed surveys on landowners’ properties without their consent, and the Fourth Circuit upheld that ruling in August. The landowners contend that the appeals court misread Maryland law by treating PSEG as likely to have eminent-domain authority for the work, though the project has not received final approval. Their challenge could put survey access for an infrastructure project with stated reliability goals back in question.

Maryland regulators require environmental surveys as part of the permit process. PSEG has offered some property owners a one-time $1,000 payment and says the vast majority of surveys are complete, with only a handful remaining. The company declined to comment on the petition. The Supreme Court hears arguments in about 80 cases each term, out of thousands of petitions.