Support Your Community
Landowner Defense Fund
The Landowner Defense Fund was created to provide legal support to those named in the lawsuit and to protect the rights of landowners facing unjust pressure from this project.
Or, if you prefer, please write your check to:
Stop MPRP Inc. Defense Fund
P.O. Box 329 Parkton MD 21120
Why We’re Fighting — and Why We Need You
July 31, 2025
The Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP) threatens more than just farmland. It threatens the very principle that private property cannot be taken—by force, pressure, or lawsuit—for private gain.
Hundreds of Maryland families have been targeted. They’ve been sued in federal court by a billion-dollar utility company simply because they said no to allowing strangers on their land for surveys tied to an unapproved transmission project.
- These lawsuits are not about public safety
- They’re not about energy emergencies.
- They are about protecting corporate revenue and fast-tracking a project that serves powerful interests—not the people of Maryland.
Our Legal Fight: The Stakes
We are appealing to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals to overturn a dangerous precedent made in the first lawsuit filed against landowners: one that allows a private developer, with no approved project and no eminent domain authority, to use the federal courts to intimidate landowners.
This case is bigger than just one project.
If we lose, utility companies across the country could use this tactic to bypass public review and silence opposition before a single permit is issued.
We’re also defending landowners in a second round of lawsuits filed by PSEG—targeting even more families who had the courage to stand their ground.
What Your Support Makes Possible
Your donation directly supports:
- Our legal appeal at the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
- Defense counsel for landowners named in federal lawsuits
- Expert consultation and filings to support our constitutional arguments
We are working with experienced legal teams who are committed to defending the rights of landowners—but we cannot do this without the resources to keep fighting.
This Is a Line in the Land.
This case will shape what’s possible—for our communities, our land, and our rights—for decades to come.
If a private company can sue you for refusing survey access before a project is even approved, what’s next?
Your donation is not just a contribution.
It’s a stand.
It’s a message that property rights still matter in America.
PSEG Files 2nd Federal Lawsuit Against Dozens More Landowner
July 16 2025
On July 15, 2025, PSEG Renewable Transmission LLC filed a second federal lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland (Case No. 25-cv-02296-JKB), targeting over 200 additional individuals, families, farms, businesses, and trusts across Baltimore, Carroll, and Frederick Counties. This lawsuit seeks the same court-ordered access that PSEG previously obtained in an earlier case (No. 25-cv-1235-ABA), allowing their agents to enter private properties for surveys related to the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).
The court in the earlier case issued a preliminary injunction on June 20, 2025, giving PSEG access even before the project has been approved by the Maryland Public Service Commission. Landowners in that first case have appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and are seeking a stay of the ruling while that appeal proceeds.
Stop MPRP, Inc. remains deeply concerned by these aggressive legal tactics. If you are named in this new lawsuit, please email group6@stopmprp.org right away. We will continue fighting to protect private property rights, farmland, and communities from unjust and premature actions by private developers.
Update: District Court Ruling Appealed to Protect Landowners
About Stop Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project
On June 24, 2025, over 60 landowners, represented by Rosenberg Martin Greenberg, LLP, officially appealed a recent District Court ruling to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. The appeal challenges a preliminary injunction that permits PSEG Renewable Transmission LLC to enter and survey private properties—without consent and before completing the state's regulatory approval process for the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).
This ruling grants PSEG sweeping access to land despite no final decision from the Maryland Public Service Commission on the project’s Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity (CPCN). Our legal team argues that this mandatory injunction prematurely grants PSEG the very relief it is seeking in the case, before landowners have had a full opportunity to defend their property rights in court.
To prevent irreversible harm while the appeal is heard, the landowners also filed a motion to stay (pause) the injunction. Without a stay, PSEG could enter and complete its surveys long before the Fourth Circuit issues a decision—effectively rendering the appeal meaningless.
This case is about more than just access—it’s about the fundamental rights of Maryland landowners to defend their property from powerful out-of-state interests seeking to exploit the land before proper public review.
We remain committed to defending our rights and holding PSEG accountable. Thank you for standing with us. Please consider a donation. Every amount helps.
Update: Judge Grants Access to Private Property
About Stop Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project
Dear Friends,
We want to share an important and sobering update regarding the lawsuit brought by PSEG against more than 100 landowners who refused access to their private properties for survey work related to the proposed Maryland Piedmont Reliability Project (MPRP).
On Friday, June 20, a federal judge issued a ruling granting PSEG’s request for a preliminary injunction, which means PSEG is now legally permitted to enter the named properties to conduct surveys. The judge also denied all motions to dismiss filed by landowners. You can view the court documents here.
According to the Court’s order, PSEG may begin entry immediately and can continue doing so until the Maryland Public Service Commission either approves or denies the CPCN application for the project. PSEG is required to give at least 24 hours’ notice before entering a property by taping a notice to the front door.
While this ruling is disappointing, it does not end our fight.
The legal team representing impacted landowners is carefully reviewing the court’s decision, and a meeting will be held early next week to determine next steps. Stop MPRP, Inc. remains committed to challenging this project on all fronts—legal, legislative, and grassroots—and protecting the rights of landowners and the health of our rural communities.
This is a critical moment. We will need your continued support and vigilance as the fight continues. Please consider a donation to the legal defense fund we established to support the landowners named in this lawsuit. Details below.
