BALTIMORE -- Baltimore County's executive is moving to intervene in the application process and approval for the controversial Piedmont Reliability Project.

Kathy Klausmeier said Baltimore County Council will "continue to work with state partners to share serious concerns about this project's impacts and work to protect our county's agricultural legacy and land preservation interests."

PSEG Renewable Transmission, a New Jersey-based company, applied for a permit to begin the construction of 70 miles of overhead 500,000-volt powerlines connecting an existing transmission line through parts of Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick counties.

The Maryland Public Service Commission says the review process will include public hearings in the counties where the project is set to be constructed, and public comments can be submitted through their website.

"PSEG has applied for what is known as a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN), which, if granted, authorizes an applicant to construct an energy generating station or high-voltage transmission line in Maryland," the MPSC said

Carroll and Frederick counties have also filed petitions against the project. 

A spokesperson for PSEG said that the project is essential to support Maryland's growing electric needs and that the current electrical system is overloaded.

Residents in the path of the proposed Piedmont Reliability Project argue these transmission lines could have a potential negative impact on the environment and how it may impede personal property.   

Property owners also fear that the project would cut through family-owned farms. 

"This issue is of great concern to a significant amount of my constituents," said Maryland Delegate Jesse Pippy, who represents Frederick County. "This project is unnecessary, it severely adversely impacts thousands and thousands of people. It's for the benefit of Virginia, not Maryland. The project itself is going to be paid for by Maryland ratepayers."

Last November, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation said the project posed several risks to Maryland's habitat and water quality, damaging protected forests, nutrient-rich wetlands, and sources of clean water. 

"As the state moves towards a greener grid and electrification of appliances and cars, more power will be needed. However, the deforestation and environmental devastation required would contradict many of Maryland's climate change goals," the CBF said in a statement. "It is much more cost-effective to preserve high-quality waterways upfront than to try and restore streams and landscapes after devastation occurs."

The Maryland Public Service Commission will include public hearings in the counties where the project is set to be constructed. 

Public comments can be submitted through the MPSC website.