New power-line plan eats into Maryland farms as energy demand soars

Maryland farmers are facing pressure to give up their land for energy projects. According to the Washington Post, energy companies are offering farmers large sums of money, with some reaching up to $200,000 per year, to lease their property for solar panels and battery storage.

The Washington Post reports that a major transmission line called the Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project plans to cross through more than 350 properties in northern Maryland. This project aims to provide electricity for data centers being built in the region. The state has already lost more than half of its farmland since 1950, leaving less than 2 million acres by 2022, as noted by the Washington Post. Many farmers want to keep their agricultural way of life and are refusing to sell or lease their properties.

Property owners reject survey access

Fox Baltimore explains that the power company PSEG offered landowners $1,000 to allow workers to survey their property, but only 55 out of more than 350 property owners accepted the offer. As Fox Baltimore reports, PSEG is now taking legal action against more than 300 landowners who refused access to their land. The opposition group Stop MPRP believes the company is not being honest with property owners.

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Fox Baltimore details how PSEG filed a motion asking courts to stop landowners from hunting on their own property during survey work. Some landowners posted online warnings about hunting season, which Fox Baltimore says raised safety concerns for survey workers. Farmers feel insulted by these demands and believe the company could simply wait until hunting season ends.

Courts may set national precedent

WBAL TV indicates that PSEG wants a federal court order to ban hunting when their crews are working on the land. According to WBAL TV, many farmers rely on hunting to control deer populations that damage crops and to provide food for their families.

The opposition group warns that this case could affect property rights across the country. WBAL TV notes that survey work appears to have stopped between late September and mid-October. Landowners continue fighting to protect their rights while the legal battle moves forward through the courts.