Residents in Washington and Greene counties have mounted a campaign to block plans for a new power transmission line through their neighborhoods, saying it will hurt property values and the quality of life without providing any local benefits.

Allegheny Energy Inc. officials, though, say misconceptions about the plan have snowballed and that many residents and municipal officials don't realize the new power line is to transmit power into, not out of, Western Pennsylvania. Allegheny Energy is the parent of Allegheny Power, which provides service to most customers in Washington and Greene counties.

Local, county and state officials have signed petitions against the plan, citing concerns about whether such a line is necessary.

The Greensburg-based company has held 10 open houses to explain its plan for the Trans Allegheny Interstate Line, commonly referred to as TrAIL. The company's last scheduled meeting is set for tonight from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Bentleyville Fire Hall in Washington County,

Company officials said they plan to emphasize details they believe have been misunderstood and reasons why they believe the project is needed.

The company wants to build a 240-mile, 500-kilovolt transmission line extending from southwestern Pennsylvania to existing substations in West Virginia and ending in northern Virginia. The final 30 miles of the line will be built and controlled by Dominion Virginia Power. Allegheny's portion of the cost is $820 million, while the total project is estimated at about $1.3 billion.

The upgrade was mandated by PJM Interconnection, which manages electric transmission services of the Mid-Atlantic power grid in 13 states and Washington, D.C. The line is part of PJM's five-year regional electric transmission plan, meant to address future energy needs at certain points in the power grid.

Grassroots organizations, including stopthetowers.org, are opposed to the plan, saying the project is a ploy by Allegheny Energy to make profits from outside the region at the expense of local customers.

Residents have also expressed concern over rate hikes, and health and safety issues, and claim the company hasn't done all it could to avoid construction of the new lines, which will be supported by 125-foot towers along 200-foot rights-of-way.

One of the group's organizers, Richard Yanock of South Strabane, said such large lines are over capacity for local demand, and he said the company has not made clear what it's plans are beyond five years.

"We need to understand what the plan is before they put a 500-kilovolt monster into the countryside," he said.

The company intends to submit it's plan to the state Public Utility Commission for approval soon, but even if the state opposes the plan or doesn't approve it within the next year, the Energy Policy Act of 2005 gives the federal government the right to intervene with construction permits.

The company claims if the new lines aren't approved, the area could see rolling blackouts and brownouts by 2011 due to a growth rate of about 4 percent in central and northern Washington County. Growth elsewhere in southwestern Pennsylvania averages about 1.5 percent, Allegheny Energy spokesman David Neurohr said.

The size of the current transmission lines, at 138 kilovolts, isn't large enough to accommodate the additional load.

"You can't wait until the well's run dry to figure out where you're going to get your next cup of water," he said.