From Page 1 Fletcher who urged people to write

From Page 1

Fletcher who urged people to write requesting that Potomac Edison Serve REC’s Rappahannock customers. He said REC rates are 23 percent higher than Potomac Edison’s. Mr. Fletcher said that REC needs another source of 34.5 kv power at the Rixeyville substation, but is trying to get a 138 kv line because of future growth in Culpeper County.

He urged involved property owners not to give REC representatives permission to come on their property. “Be polite, but don’t be cooperative,” he urged. He said REC was asking for the right-of-way for a 138 kv line, even though the Rixeyville Substation can’t handle that much Voltage. They would put in a 34.5kv tine now and upgrade later, he said. Me said allowing a 138 kv line to go from Sperryville to Rixeyville will move up the date when another 138 kv tine will have to come into Sperryville.

« He said REC would be interested in getting 138 kv power to the Hazel switching station to serve a proposed 1,000-home subdivision at the Freedom Studies Center. “We can cause them more problems than we’re worth by being politely insistant on being sold,” he said.

Next Phil Irwin spoke, saying that the Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection had been formed 23 years ago to fight a proposed 138kv Potomac Edison line from Front Royal to Rick Mills, to Boston, and on to Sperryville. RLEP was able to successfully challenge the tine, but then lost a fight with Virginia Power (formerly VEPCO) over a 500 kv line through Amissville. When the current 138 kv line was put in from Luray to Sperryville, RLEP persuaded Potomac Edison to use single wooden poles instead of steel towers, he said. , He urged people to support the idea that fiiture power line upgrades should use existing rights-of-way, and said that RLEP had urged the county government to amend the