Tense Exchange as Baltimore Co. Citizens Fight PSEG Attempt to Take Their Land

Hunt Valley, MD – Residents of Maryland’s Piedmont region have intensified their opposition to a controversial high-voltage power line project, urging the state’s governor and the incoming presidential administration to intervene.

At a public information session hosted by the developer, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG), the nearly 350 attendees repeatedly shouted down the company’s presenter, demanding a transition to a question-and-answer format.

“This is supposed to be a question-and-answer session,” said Brenda Myers, a resident of Hampstead. “They were [monopolizing] our time.”

The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) is a proposed 70-mile high-voltage power line that has faced widespread opposition from local elected officials. Critics argue the project’s potential use of eminent domain to seize private property poses significant risks to their constituents.

Joanne Frederick, president of the grassroots organization Stop MPRP, said her group is anxiously awaiting a clear stance from Governor Wes Moore on the project. “I have not received any direct contact from the governor’s office,” Frederick said. “I think we all would agree that we are anxiously waiting for Gov. Moore to step up and stand up and stand beside the citizens of Maryland to stop this destruction.”

Caryn Joachim, a property owner from Upperco, echoed Frederick’s concerns, questioning whether PSEG has been collaborating with the governor’s office to advance the MPRP. When the developer failed to answer her question, Joachim expressed frustration with the governor’s continued silence on the issue.

“PSEG gave $10,000 to Wes Moore to go to the DNC,” Joachim said. “He doesn’t give a rat’s a** that this project doesn’t do anything but hurt Maryland.”

Residents also called on President-elect Donald Trump to intervene, suggesting he could work with Tesla CEO Elon Musk to find an alternative solution that does not involve the power lines.

PSEG’s project manager, Jason Kalwa, emphasized the company’s efforts to engage “one-on-one” with property owners to reach “amicable agreements.” However, the public session was marked by the company’s inability to control the crowd, which repeatedly interrupted and shouted down the presenter.

As the governor’s office did not respond to requests for comment, the fate of the MPRP remains uncertain, with residents continuing to demand that their elected officials take a strong stance against the project.