What is an Open House?

You may have received a promotional postcard in the mail from NextEra Energy, announcing several upcoming Open House events throughout the area. The schedule is posted below. If you're a landowner in the path of the transmission lines, you may have already been approached by a land agent seeking access to survey your property. You are under no obligation to oblige them, by the way. Just say "no" and dismiss them. See more about your rights in this BLOG.

Unlike a Town Hall, NextEra Energy has chosen the Open House format to share its intent to build overhead transmission lines through Western Maryland and into West Virginia, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. If you've never attended an Open House event, here's what to expect.

A town hall public event usually has a panel of people presenting formally to attendees, followed by questions and comments. Those attending will often be required to sign up in advance to address the room. Town Halls can become contentious when what is being proposed is unwanted or makes people feel threatened. The format also puts the attendees in a good position to rally opposition because everyone in the room hears the same information and counterarguments simultaneously. Hostile attendees in large numbers can be intimidating.

Conversely, Open House events are held over several hours, using self-guided information stations, so everyone doesn't congregate at once or hear what others are concerned about. The four-hour span appears to accommodate working and retired attendees, but it actually keeps the number of people more manageable as they filter in and out. Often, attendees are coming to learn, but the stations have display panels that may be unclear to a novice, leaving attendees unsure of what to ask.

When entering an Open House, often held in vast rooms, it can be confusing, loud, and distracting. At this event, NextEra Energy will want to gather personal information about attendees and use whatever technique to move everyone along like cattle in a chute. Any displayed maps will contain blown-up versions of various transmission line route segments that are too difficult to read on their small promotional postcards. NextEra will encourage people to select the segments they think are the "best path" for the transmission lines, and then file their selection on a Comment Card to be left behind. The Comment Cards are actually used to gather a landowner’s contact information for land agents to use in the future.

This public event technique is an exercise in divide and conquer. The natural response is for neighbors to choose the “best” segments, which would naturally be the furthest away from their property. By doing so, the developer turns the community against itself, instead of toward the REAL enemy — NextEra Energy!

Despite what you're told, NextEra Energy has already decided which route it wants for its development project. The open house is merely corporate theater to make it appear that the public is involved in the decision-making process. Why should you go if your input is going to be ignored? It's a perfect opportunity to network with other citizens and demonstrate to NextEra Energy that you are paying attention and have a vested interest in the project's outcome, or shutting it down altogether. Numbers matter; the more people who attend, the less welcome NextEra Energy will feel.

Scheduled Open Houses (You are welcome to attend more than one.)

May 5

Slanesville Volunteer Fire Company

6951 Bloomery Pike, Slanesville, WV 25444

May 6

Friendsville Volunteer Fire and Rescue Department

122 Walnut Street, Friendsville, MD 21531

May 7

Good Will fire Company Armory

2 Advocate Court, Lonaconning, MD 21539

May 8

Greater Cumberland Regional Airport

165 Terminal Loop, Wiley ford, WV 26767

May 12

Erickson Alumni Center

1 Alumni Drive, Morgantown, WV 26506

May 13

Fairchance Volunteer Fire Department

31 Pittsburgh Street, Fairchance, PA 15436

May 14

Bruceton Brandonville Volunteer Fire Department

142 Union Street, Bruceton Mills, WV 26525

May 20

Gore Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company

7184 Northwestern Turnpike, Gore, VA 22637