High-voltage power line approved; public review due

BALTIMORE (AP) -- A $1 billion, 230-mile high-voltage power line that would travel across four states and under the Chesapeake Bay was approved Wednesday by the operator of the mid-Atlantic region's electricity grid.

The line would start in Virginia and cut across southern Maryland and Delaware before ending in New Jersey.

PJM Interconnection approved the power line proposal by Pepco Holdings. A public review phase is next, and opposition from residents and other activists is likely.

"This takes us by surprise, and we'll be watching carefully to learn the anticipated environmental impacts and see what we can do to...