Part of The New Land Wars series
They call it clean energy.
But there’s nothing clean about bulldozing forests, slicing through farmland, and suing families to make way for high-voltage transmission lines that don’t even benefit the people losing everything.
The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) is being sold to the public as an environmental necessity — a vital step toward “modernizing the grid” and meeting our climate goals.
But behind the branding, behind the buzzwords, and behind the big green promises lies a dirty truth:
This isn’t about saving the planet.
It’s about powering Virginia’s Big Tech boom — and Maryland is footing the environmental bill.
Forests Cut. Wetlands Damaged. Farmland Lost.
The MPRP route cuts through more than 70 miles of rural Maryland, threatening:
- Over 500 acres of forests and wetlands
- Multiple waterways and wildlife habitats
- Generational farmland and rural ecosystems
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation has sounded the alarm.
So have conservationists, local residents, and environmental justice advocates.
Yet the developers — led by PSEG and PJM Interconnection — continue to cloak the project in “green” language, calling it a public good.
But how is it a public good if it cuts down forests so Google’s data centers can stay cool?
Let’s Be Clear: This Is Energy Colonialism
Maryland imports 40% of its energy, and this project exports more to Northern Virginia — home to the world’s largest concentration of data centers.
This isn’t about reliability.
This is about feeding the corporate cloud — Amazon Web Services, Meta, Microsoft — whose servers require massive electricity to run AI, crypto, and cloud infrastructure.
And they’re doing it by:
- Suing Marylanders for access to their land
- Ripping up natural habitats
- Calling it “clean energy”
This is green colonialism — where rural, working-class communities are sacrificed to serve distant tech empires.
Where Is Governor Wes Moore?
Wes Moore ran on a promise of equity, environmental justice, and progressive leadership.
He talks often about climate resilience, protecting communities, and building a better Maryland for all.
But when it comes to the MPRP’s environmental devastation, he’s been silent.
Moore has voiced vague concerns about eminent domain — but has refused to speak out against the environmental destruction this project will cause.
- No emergency review.
- No demand for a full Environmental Impact Statement.
- No public condemnation of forest and farmland destruction.
- No pressure on PJM or PSEG to find alternatives.
Why the silence?
Because the politics of “green energy” are good optics — even when the reality is mass deforestation, rural sacrifice, and legal abuse.
In other words, it’s easier to tweet about justice than to fight for it when it’s inconvenient.
Greenwashing Is the New Gaslighting
This is a textbook case of greenwashing — when corporations use environmental language to justify harmful practices.
- A transmission line is still a transmission line — even if it has a leaf on the logo.
- A bulldozer is still a bulldozer — even if it’s painted green.
- A land grab is still a land grab — even if it’s powered by solar.
The public is told it’s “clean” — while forests are leveled, wildlife habitats are fragmented, and the people who steward the land are pushed into court.
Real Climate Justice Protects People — Not Just Power Lines
Climate justice isn’t just about reducing emissions.
It’s about how we do it, who pays the price, and who gets to decide.
- If rural families lose their land without consent — that’s not justice.
- If forests are cut for corporate expansion — that’s not justice.
- If silence from political leaders enables it — that’s not justice.
Real climate leadership means protecting people, not just pleasing donors.
Final Thought: The Trees Can’t Speak, But We Can
The next time you hear someone say “It’s just a power line,” remember:
- It’s 70 miles long.
- It’s backed by corporate lawsuits.
- It’s destroying ecosystems in the name of tech convenience.
- And it’s happening with barely a word from Maryland’s top officials.
Progress doesn’t have to mean plundering.
Clean energy shouldn’t mean coercion.
And the climate movement shouldn’t be a cover for exploitation.
This isn’t climate justice.
This is The Green Lie.
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