YORK COUNTY, Pa. — The battle between a York County community and an energy company proposing a multi-billion-dollar hydropower project on the Susquehanna River continues.
On Monday, York County residents gathered at a public meeting in Chanceford Township organized by the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association that addressed the York Energy Storage Waterpower Project.
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the government agency that recently approved York Energy Storage LLC's preliminary permit application for the project, was in attendance to provide information to attendees on how to provide public comment during the 60-day window that opened on February 1.
The proposed project would implement a hydropower facility on the Susquehanna River, that York Energy Storage LLC says would provide an additional 1.5 million megawatt hours to the grid that services millions of people.
"This is the best site on the east coast of the United States for pump storage," said William McMahon, member of York Energy Storage LLC. "[It] is the best place to encourage and build more renewable clean energy for our future that affects millions of people."
However, the proposed project would have additional costs than just the $2.5 billion price tag. The construction of the facility would flood 580 acres of land and displace 50 property owners in the area.
Jake Horton, a Chanceford Township resident, attended the meeting and is one of those 50 people. The project would force him to move from his farm after 23 years.
"It’s going to ruin my livelihood. I’ve lived there for 23 years, raised both my kids there, we raise sheep, we raise produce, we do hay, we’re running a farm," said Horton. "It's going to impact a whole community. The magnitude of this project is pretty immense. More immense than people realize."
However, York Energy Storage LLC says it's an unfortunate consequence of a project that will serve a greater good.
"I don’t like the idea that it affects the 50 landowners but the fact is we can do a greater job for more people if we do let the project go ahead," said McMahon. "We will make sure that we do everything possible to satisfy them, to make sure the process is handled smoothly and to their satisfaction."
There is also disagreement about the benefits it will have. The Lancaster Conservancy disagrees with the additional energy the facility would provide. They say the proposed pumped storage hydropower facility would require 20% more energy than it would be able to produce. They also cite the negative impacts it would have on the surrounding environment.
Fritz Schroeder, Lancaster Conservancy's president and CEO released in a statement:
“The proposed pumped storage facility would condemn 1,000 acres of this land – much of which is forested. Every time we take a short-sighted view of our natural lands and give in to unchecked development, we are giving away a future with clean air and water, where our wildlands and wildlife thrive and are valued. We must decide now to defend our natural world, our forests and farms, our cultural landscapes, our trails, and our community.”
Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Ted Evgeniadis says because the proposed facility is on the Susquehanna River and is interconnected with many areas, it's an open-loop system that would have a widespread environmental impact.
"We’re looking at impacts to the Susquehanna River region, to the watershed, the lower Susquehanna River from Wrightsville all the way down to the Chesapeake Bay," said Evgeniadis. "This is a landscape that needs to be protected. It’s a waterway that needs to be restored."
York Energy Storage LLC disagrees.
"We are a very green project. We are not going to be hurting the river, affecting the land and we don’t emit any emissions," said McMahon. "We are cleaner and when the project is all done we’ll maintain the trails, we’ll maintain the public lands that have to be left alone and we intend to be good citizens to all people in the area for a long time."
These impacts will be assessed by FERC and will make a decision on whether the project should proceed to a 4-year study period once the public comment period concludes.
"It’s an attempt by the federal government to make sure they are being fair and they’re hearing all the angles of what people are thinking before they make a decision and that will be both political as well as factual," said McMahon.
A decision that will not be made before a community ensures their voice is heard.
"If you love where we live, if you love the township, if you love Pennsylvania, if you love the Susquehanna, it’s time to stand up and fight," said Horton.