Illinois
BlockRICL
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Opposing the abuse of EMINENT DOMAIN.
Make sure you are tuning intoour Block RICL Facebook pagefor developments requiring your action asap.
YES! We are here. There are at least 5 major issues/projects we are working on.
GBE/Invenergy has started eminent domain proceedings in MO and filed at the Illinois Commerce Commission. It's not a "done deal" by a LONG, LONG, LONG shot.
Check into your local networks. TODAY. Talk to your neighbors. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING. Watch our for your elderly neighbors. TODAY. Contact us at saveourfarmland@hotmail.com
The IL Energy Bill passed with language making eminent domain for Grain Belt Express possible. (Major constitutional issues with this…..)Ironic, isn't that Invenery/GBE lobbied aggressively in MO against the exact opposite.
The Great Lakes Basin Transportation Co. (camouflaged as a railroad for eminent domain purposes) IS BACK. Again, plug into your local networks and STAY TUNED.
Why eminent domain in the wrong hands is BAD.
Saturday, June 12 update Click here.Press Release 6.8.21 Click Here.
WE NEED YOU TODAY!! BLOCK RICL remains dedicated to fighting eminent domain abuse. Our strength against RICL was our power in numbers and working together. We need to pull together again and ACT.
RICL's sister merchant transmission line project was bought by Big Wind company Invenergy. Invenergy has been lobbying in Springfield, IL and appears to be winning for a LAW to allow any private company EMINENT DOMAIN for private, spec merchant transmission lines. It would reverse our IL Supreme Court decision. It has also been proposed to take wind/siting control away from counties.
It's less clear if the wording in the IL Senate Bill 2896 and House Bill 4074 extends to eminent domain for wind and solar in general, but this is a chance we CAN NOT take!*More details, especially for all in the GBE route: Click here
If you thought Skelly, Zilkhas, and Ziffs were reprehensible, meet the new billionaire owner thinking he's entitled to our land: Click here
ACT NOW! Contact SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com to get on our email list for CALLS TO ACTION.
STAY TUNED to this page and our Facebook page for details- we're working on big things NOW including targeted call lists.
SPREAD THE WORD!! Family, friends, neighbors, church, etc. etc.
STATE EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSEWe are receiving reports that IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) is in the habit of taking ownership of the existing land in easements for almost $0 compensation under the guise of "needing just a little more" for a highway or culvert project and calling it a "Right of Way." Please share your experiences asap with saveourfarmland@hotmail.com.
FEDERAL EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSEStay tuned. Really BIG changes are being proposed in Washington, D.C. (guess who's lobbying the loudest….) to add FEDERALLY sited transmission lines with FEDERAL eminent domain.
ARCHIVESThe following chronicles our past successes and posts. Please ACT NOW to protect what we've worked so hard to defeat and protect! The threats are bigger, stronger, and coming from every direction. We need EVERY person to do whatever you possibly can. Over and Over and Over!
Update: March 20, 2019 Great explanation on the real issues withGrain Belt Express (GBE): Click here
Landowners Vow to Appeal Grain Belt Express Decision: Click here.
Update: Feb. 1, 2019 "Clean" Line Energy Partners Calls it QUITS.
AMEN!!Rock Island "Clean" Line is finished in Illinois and was dismissed with prejudice by the Illinois Commerce Commission on June 15, 2018.
To read the Illinois Commerce Commission
WELL DONE and THANK YOUto everyone who contributed time, talents, and funds in this long but critical battle for landowner rights. Bravo.
3/13/18 Word just in that the 5th District Appellate Court has reversed the ICC's approval of GBE! The Court ruled (1) that a nonpublic utility applicant (GBE) may not use the Expedited Review process of the Public Utilities Act, and (2) GBE does not meet the definition of a public utility. For a link to the Order, click here.
A reminder: In the 3rd District Appellate Court Order delivering a death blow to RICL, there were a SUBSTANTIAL number of issues with the ICC order that were never ruled on because they simply, first, weren't a public utility. There would STILL be SUBSTANTIAL hurdles besides simply qualifying as a "public utility" should "Clean" Line ever come back and try again in Illinois.
HAPPY NEW YEAR! And the THIRD "Clean" Line project, Plains and Eastern, becomes a "might have" and not a "could, would, maybe, might."
11/21/17: The IL Supreme Court has DENIED RICL'spetition for a rehearing. Our WIN stands
BRAVO!! EXCELLENT new documentary onanother transmission line battle that has so MANY similarities to "Clean" Line projects that you could almost just substitute project names.WOW. Watch to the end. WOW. Click here.
Dear RTO Insider, Crain's Chicago Business, and any other trade paper being lobbied to do puff pieces on "Clean" Line. Please do your OWN research. The actual documents linked on this website and here can be a helpful place to start.
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! Landowners prevail inIllinois Supreme Court Opinion!!
Press Release: Click here.IL Supreme Court Opinion: Here. Hint: Reporters, be sure to read this and compare to RICL's purports.
BRAVO!! Missouri PSC DENIES GBE FOR THE THIRD TIME! Watch the comments for the press release and more details as they become available!
"Clean" Line has played a significant role in exposing true costs and in the backlash against Big Wind. Read here.
Failing "Clean" Line now wants taxpayers (us) to bail them out: Read here. Nope, we're not surprised.
July 4th update in Missouri!
Great day for the IL Landowners Alliance at the Illinois Supreme Court! BRAVO! Click here to watch the video. Hint: Jump ahead to 25:52 to hear the clear and concise arguments!
BIG WIN!! Iowa passes law prohibiting high voltage merchant transmission lines (like RICL)
from using eminent domain!!!More details to follow!
Breaking News: RICL significantly downsized and failed to notify the IL Supreme Court.
Motion to Dismiss the Appeal filed by ComED, May 2nd: Click here Responses filed May 8, 2017: ILA Response: Click hereIL Farm Bureau Response: Click here
IL Supreme Court Oral Arguments scheduled for May 17, 2017. BRING IT ON!9 AM, 200 E Capitol St., Springfield, ILRefresher on Appellate Court ruling: Click here.
BRAVO! IL Supreme Court briefs filed on April 12th! It just doesn't get much clearer than this. Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed their time, talents, and hard-earned money to stand up for what is right!
Illinois Landowners Alliance Brief: Click here Illinois Farm Bureau Brief: Click hereComEd Brief: Click here (Read p. 40-43!)
Update on the MO PSC Hearing. Click here. BRAVO!! Oral Arguments at the IL 5th Appellate Court! GREAT summary of what's wrong with "Clean" Line projects! Click here.
You know, that pesky stuff gathered under oath and not from salesman/lobbyist's spiel or "Clean" Line's fluffy PR.
Happy New Year! RICL has officially pulled out of Iowa, but the IL Supreme Court case is full speed ahead. Link to Iowa Utility Board document: Click here.
An EXCELLENT, must-watch video on what's really wrong about "Clean" Line projects and talks about TRUE costs. Click here.
IL Supreme Court to Hear RICL Appeal. Thank you to the reporters contacting us! For the press release, click here. Thank you, Chicago Tribune and Becky Yerak.Click here for a link to the article.
Heads up, Missouri!! Critical Missouri PSC meetings coming up! Please make every effort to attend!
IL Landowners Alliance and IL Farm BureauSTRIKE BACK!! Click here. In legal terms, the filing to the IL Supreme Court is otherwise known as "Answer to the Petition For Leave To Appeal"
And, anyone buying "Clean" Line's line thatComEd's opposition is just "sour grapes," needs to read this Answer and the attached testimony. Click here.
Click here for blog explaining CLE's connection to the U.S. Department of Energy and the attempted use of federal eminent domain through Section 1222.
Great article in the Earlville Post! It's a proud day when our small town papers do a wayyyyyyyy better job of reporting than certain large business papers!
WE WON!!!!!!The Illinois 3rd Appellate Court has ruled that the Illinois Commerce Commission erred in granting Rock Island "Clean" Line public utility status, and, IN A 3-0 UNANIMOUS decision, reversed the ICC order!!
Read the Court Opinion here!
Block RICL Press Release here!
For more information on the legal victory from Illinois Landowners Alliance attorneys: Click here.
For more information from Block RICL, go to our Facebook page by clicking on the Facebook tab.
"Clean" Line DROPS THE GUISE OF "CLEAN" !!
Fantastic read on "Clean" Line tactics. Click here.Be sure to click on the link and READ "Clean Line's counsel says they meant to do that."
Meanwhile, in Iowa at the IUB…….. Click here.
Why the latest Missouri "Landowner Protections"
News on the appeal in IL Appellate Court forGrain Belt Express. Click here.
Arkansas Landowner Catches "Clean" Line Contractors in a Web of Lies. Click here.
A fun (yet succinctly ON-POINT) read! Click here.Clean Line "Disappointed," Then Has a Temper Tantrum
Countering the latest "Clean" Line SPIN in MO:If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride.
Wall Street Journal LTE. Click here. Eminent Domain Hurts Farmers Rights: Eminent domain shouldn't be used when is serves commercial interest at the expense of private individualsClick on title for link to "Involuntary Covenants"from the LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources…..and "Clean" Line projects aren't necessary "infrastructure," but that's another post!
Congress Launches Investigation of DOE's Clean Line Decision. Click here.
The Department of Energy's "Landowners Benefits" Ruse. Click here.
Using Politics to Build an Electric Grid is the Definition of Insanity. Click here.
HERE's a GREAT response to the Dept. of Energy (DOE) and "Clean" Line's (errr, Lies) last publicity blitz on the DOE's decision to "partner" with CLE.
U.S. DOE Takes Kickback From Investors to Condemn Private Property. Click here.
Landowners to DOE: See Ya in Court. Click here.
We stand with our neighbors who are now
opposing the abuse of eminent domain for the Great Lakes Basin Railroad. For more information, please visit our Facebook page by clicking on the tab at the bottom right of the page.
Posts on "Clean" Line Projects:
Great response to the recent Bloomberg article that mentions "fierce op We stand with our neighbors who are now
opposing the abuse of eminent domain for the Great Lakes Basin Railroad. For more information, please visit our Facebook page by clicking on the tab at the bottom right of the page.
Posts on "Clean" Line Projects:
Great response to the recent Bloomberg article that mentions "fierce opposition," but didn't bother to contact any of said opposition to find out if their assumptions were true. (They weren't.) Here's the response. Click here. position," but didn't bother to contact any of said opposition to find out if their assumptions were true. (They weren't.) Here's the response. Click here.
An insightful read on "Clean" Line's numbers, tactics, and business plan. Click here.Cookin' With Clean Line in Hannibal
Awesome (and funny) blog summarizing "Clean" Line's latestactivity on their projects!Clean Line Energy wins the "Eye Roll Olympics"
The Iowa Utility Board has DENIED RICL's third request for bifurcation! Congratulations Iowa!!
Listen to a radio interview of PRIA's President Carolyn Sheridan outlining major points: Click here.
We are deeply appreciative of the Iowa Utility Board decision which clearly upholds the law and very carefully considered constitutional rights.
Video Message from Iowa: Click here.
A great explanation of RICL's THIRD attempt in Iowa:
Update on Grain Belt Express in Illinois:
Open Letter to RICL from 23 Iowa Representatives. Bravo and THANK YOU! Click here.
Industrial Wind is Destroying Iowa's Eagle Habitats
Illinois Third Appellate Court Hears Oral ArgumentsDec. 2nd IL Block RICL PRESS RELEASE: Click here.
Windward Iowa funded by "Clean" Line: Click here.
Many thanks, NPR Radio for a well-researched report!To listen: Click here...........Then pay attention to the ever changing numbers Amy Kurt stumbles over.
BRAVO to the IL Appellate Court Appeal Team!
Oral arguments were heard on Dec. 1st in Ottawa.Click here for a quick summary.
New great LTE in the St. Louis Dispatch. Click here. And another from Nov. 28: Click here.And another new, must-read LTE in AR: Click here.
BLOCK groups across the Midwest are having very, very busy weeks!! Please go to our Facebook page for our many updates and press releases!
Word of Caution to the Press!When the Illinois Commerce Commission ruled on RICL last November, NO ONE but the ICC knew the details of what was in the Final Order when RICL was "approved" by the ICC. The actual order (several hundred pages) was not released at the same time as the ICC meeting. Yet, "Clean" Line press releases touted a win, but omitted "small" details like the ICC also voting unanimously that RICL did not prove NEED, had to prove that all financing was in place before building, needed Iowa regulatory approvals, or were denied eminent domain. By the time these details were known, the stories were over and these important details failed to be reported.
Press Releases:NEW: IL Appellate Court to Hear Oral Arguments on RICL: Click here.For information on the initial Appeal filed in February: Click here.
Stay tuned for Block GBE press releases on today's expected ICC ruling.
Oct. 27, 2015 Update: GREAT letter to the DOE from Senator Tom Cotton!! Click here.
Arkansas Congressional Delegation sends letter to the Dept. of Energy Sec. Moniz.
GRAIN BELT EXPRESS HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN THEILLINOIS SUPREME COURT!
There's been many new updates lately and details are posted on our Facebook Pages!! Click on the Facebook tab bottom right side of this page to read the latest posts. A HUGE thank you to our great volunteers going the extra miles!!
MISSOURI PSC TURNS DOWN "Clean" Line's GBE!
The final vote and order is IN!!!!! Press Release: Click here. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
APPEAL BRIEFS IN ILLINOIS APPELLATE COURT:Illinois Landowners Alliance: Click here.IL Farm Bureau/IL Ag Association: Click here.ComED: Click here.
BRAVO!!!! and Thank you!!!!For simpler, shorter explanations of the legal issues being challenged,read the ILA Press release and the Applications for Rehearings submitted to the ICC. All are linked below.
GREAT news coming from Iowa! Click here.
WOW! The Oklahoma Attorney General weighs in on "Clean" Line's Plains and Eastern project.
This is pure gold: Click here.
BRAVO! Here's a blueprint for townships, counties, and states being courted by "Clean" Line! While we're not all potentially facing federal eminent domain, this SPRA letter raises numerous issues that would impact us all and outlines great points to consider if we everhave to "negotiate" with "Clean" Line!! This is a must-read! Click here.
Another SUPER, must-read letter from BLOCK Plains and Eastern commenting on the U.S. Dept. of Energy EIS for "Clean" Line's federal eminent domain application.Bravo, Block Plains and Eastern!! Click here.
Grain Belt Express has filed at the Illinois Commerce Commission.Thanks to all of reporters checking out what has come out UNDER OATH and not from the company's PR firms!! Go to the Block GBE tab above.
Illinois Landowners Alliance Files Appeal for
RICL ruling in Illinois Appellate CourtPress Release: Click hereFor more Illinois news, scroll down this page.
Press Releases from last week:
A.K.A. "Clean" Line's Very, Very Bad Week.Iowa: Click hereMissouri: Click hereActual Missouri PSC Order: Click hereArkansas: Click here
IOWA: Preservation of Rural Iowa/Stop RICL:RICL has SIX lobbyists registered at the Capitol. We need your help to send a strong message to legislators that our private property rights need to be protected!!Go to the Iowa website for more info: Click here.
Welcome, BLOCK Grain Belt Express- Illinois!For more information, go to the Block RICL and Block GBE- IL Facebook pages or email SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.comAlso click on the Block GBE tab above.
URGENT: Illinois Landowners! RICL has attempted to add tax parcels to what was on the ICC docket and what landowners were originally notified would be on the route! Click here for the list of parcels included on the docket. Click here for the route maps and legal description.Contact us immediately at 815-315-8506 or email SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com :-if you have NEVER been notified by RICL or are just now receiving first contacts-if they're attempting to pad your tax parcels - if you have been asked to sign generic, carte blanch forms to do more than the ICC order allows- if you know of elderly landowners being targeted
If/when they go to the ICC to try again for eminent domain, these sorts of tactics wouldn't be in their favor.... at all.
Applications for Rehearings filed at the Illinois Commerce Commission that highlight the problems with the ICC Final Order:2. Farm Bureau: Click here.3. ComED: Click here.
This is a groundbreaking case through which future case law and precedent will be set. We deeply appreciate all of the intervening parties efforts in protecting ALL of our futures against a private, for-profit LLC's attempts to side step and bend existing laws written for the public-serving public utilities.
Yes, the ICC Order gives RICL the right to survey, but there are MAJOR things you need to know. Do NOT sign anything from RICL and attend the Farm Bureau informational meeting. It's likely that RICL would be asking you to sign away MORE rights than the very, very basic "soft survey" rights given in the ICC Order- Get informed and protected! Even the "soft survey" (visual only, no vehicles, no core borings, etc.) are being contested at the ICC.
The IL Commerce Commission (ICC) Final Order is in!
IT'S GREAT NEWS!! No eminent domain.... and not on the path to eminent domain.....yet..... and with HEFTY conditions.Click here for the full 200+ page order.
Also UNANIMOUSLY voted on by the IL Commerce Commission: "Accordingly, the Commission finds that Rock Island has not demonstrated that the Project is necessary to provide adequate, reliable, and efficient service to customers within the meaning of Section 8-406 (b)(1)." P. 114 ICC Final Order Docket 12-0560
"According to Staff, Rock Island essentially concedes that no need for the proposed Project has actually been established." Click here.
Just how RISKY and SPECULATIVE is RICL? Click here.
RICL was denied under Sections 8-503 and 8-509 which would put them on the path to eminent domain. Since the judge in his proposed order clearly stated that RICL failed to prove need, (RICL argued they didn't have to), this could be a critical point if RICL were to try to petition again for those sections, and therefore eminent domain.
ARTICLES that were actually written after the actual Final Order was released and actually report on what the order actually says vs. RICL spin:
Mendota Reporter- ICC releases ruling: Click here.AgriNews: Headline withheld because it is WRONG! Click here.
RICL does NOT have construction to build. They have to go back to the ICC and prove they have $2 Billion in hand, PJM Interconnections in place, MISO and PJM studies done, etc. etc.
Read a blog about RICL's premature press release: Click here.
Landowners can say NO. GO. AWAY. There is some surveying rights, but there's lots you need to know before allowing RICL on your land!
If land agents try to say RICL is a "done deal" and they'll just come back with eminent domain, they would be very, very wrong.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! And thank you to all of our volunteers who worked tirelessly and unselfishly on behalf of all of our land, income, investments , family legacies, and property rights!!!!
Chicago Tribune article on the ICC Ruling: Press: Thank you to all the reporters contacting us for inormation!Email SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com if you have not yet received our press release. Thank you!
Bravo! Great article in the St. Louis Dispatch
Yes, RICL has filed at the Iowa Utility Board.
NO!! It is- by far- NOT a done deal!Watch for more info to be posted on www.IowaStopRICL.com and on Block RICL and Preservation of Rural Iowa Facebook pages.
In the meantime, here's what's come out of Illinois Commerce Commission testimony.... under oath.......and most testimony applies to both RICL and GBE. It can't get much clearer than this.
These are succinct and interesting reads!
ILA Reply Brief on Exceptions: Click here.Farm Bureau Brief on Exceptions: Click here. ComED Reply Brief on Exceptions: Click here.
A MUST read from the MoDOT: The Effects of Ground Voltage or Stray Current on Infrastructure Caused by HVDC Transmission Lines.
THIS IS, BY FAR, NOT A DONE DEAL, but it doesn't stop RICL from spinning more spin. Reporters and landowners don't be duped by RICL salesmen and land agents. Click here.
Click here for a link to the ICC proposed order which was likely be revised before going to the full commission. Click on the Facebook tab bottom right for updates as we get them.
Read a commentary about the order: Click here.
CRITICAL CALL TO ACTION: We have information coming in of more "Clean" Line kool-aid form letters being used to gain influence- this time with the U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
Click here for what to do!Click here to read a spot-on letter to Sec. Moniz.
Wow! The Block RICL Facebook page has passedOne Million Post Views! Click on the big Facebook tab on the bottom of the page to see what you're missing! No account needed.
A message from the BLOCK leaders:
It is a great privilege to work with so many dedicated, sincere, and talented people collaborating on a common goal. You are an inspiration to us and others! Check the Facebook page often! There's small victories and breaking news almost every day!
Independent analysis of HVDC health risks!
Moberly Monitor article for the background on the analysis: Click Here
Full BioInitiative Report: Click here
WIRL Radio interview that does a great job of defining why there is unprecedented opposition to "Clean" Line Projects: Click Here to Listen
Great explanation of why "Clean" Line's Tactics have drawn broad, Midwest-wide opposition: Formal Complaint to the MO PSC.Click here to read.
Yes! First FERC Protest Filed by
Updates posted daily on Facebook. The best:"RI emphasizes its ability to use eminent domain powers as a marketing point with its "potential" lenders and investors."From ComEd Reply Brief to the Illinois Commerce Commission p. 32
Eminent domain does NOT exist for PRIVATE companies to force PRIVATE individuals to "sell" PRIVATE property rights just so that PRIVATE individuals can ATTRACT lenders and investors. That is WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.Click the Facebook button on the lower right side. No account needed.
Read the full Initial Briefs for Illinois Commerce Commission Docket 12-0560 for "Clean" Line Energy Partners, LLC submitted Jan. 31, 2014.
1. ComED Click Here2. Illinois Landowners Alliance (ILA) Click Here3. Farm Bureau/ Illinois Ag Association Click Here*4. Staff of the Illinois Commerce Commission Click Here
This is the staff's recommendation to the administrative law judge. Judge Jones, in turn, will make a recommendation to the 5 judges on the commission. Initial briefs from all parties were due on Jan. 31st.Stay tuned as we are able to post more!
For months, researchers across the Midwest have been collaborating. Their discoveries are now available as a compilation: "The Other Side of "Clean" Line"Click Here. (Use the arrows to move through the pages.)
Illinois Commerce Commission Hearingshave successfully concluded in Springfield, IL!Excerpts are being posted on the Facebook page and on the Ridiculous RICL Blog!(For both, click on the buttons on the bottom right of this page.)Full transcripts are also being posted on the ICC e-docket. See out testimony highlight page for links.
MAJOR, MAJOR issues with the project were identified. Again, the EARLIEST we could expect an ICC decision is well into 2014. MISSOURI: Now is the time to make your voices heard! Go to the Block GBE tab above and visit www.BlockGBEMO.com. Click HERE.........ILLINOIS warning: RICL land agents are ignoring the formal notices sent to them requiring all correspondence being through the US mail. MAKE SURE YOUR ELDERLY ARE PROTECTED AND KNOW NOT TO SIGN ANYTHING FROM "CLEAN LINE"EVERYONE: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!!
IOWA warning: RICL land agents are saying that the project has passed in Illinois. That is not correct!The EARLIEST we can expect a decision for the IL portion of the route at the Illinois Commerce Commission is at least April or May, 2014. They face fierce opposition because this project LACKS MERIT and their kool-aid sales pitches DO NOT HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY.
There is unprecedented opposition from the Illinois Landowners Alliance (representing almost half of the IL route), the IL State Farm Bureau, and ComED which is the company that RICL has to go through to plug into the PJM grid. ComED's witness Naumann is one of the top experts in the world and his testimony is well worth the read!!! For links, go to the testimony tabs above.
The IOWA LEGAL process is different from Illinois, and we are about a year ahead of you in debunking the kool-aid sales pitch. Please click on the Iowa Block RICL tab above for more specific legal information.
However, we hope that you can benefit from our key points (not all directly related to Iowa) and the Illinois Commerce Commission testimony highlights where MAJOR concerns about the LACK of expertise, finances, planning, and plain-old, common-sense merit is testified to by expert witnesses.
There is MAJOR opposition to RICL because of the lack of merit in this project. Plain and simple.
Thank you to ALL who helped make the 2nd Round Illinois Forum a resounding success! If you were in the fields, don't worry. We had it covered!!
Mendota Reporter Article:
Click here for the new handout on how RICL is NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT "like Ameren or ComEd."
GREAT article highlighting the reasons this is CRITICAL for Illinois (and all Midwest) consumers, ratepayers, taxpayers, voters, and landowners. In other words: ALL of us for many reasons:
To read "Clean Line Fails in Mendota," click HERE. Local reporters estimate more than 700 people came to the first forum! Landowners who had driven from as far away as the Mississippi were turned away. The auditorium was packed and the parking lot full.
To read lots more posts about the forum, click on the big Facebook Button on the bottom right. There's a couple you don't want to miss!......New, updated "Things you should know" flyer available HERE. ..... Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Testimony Highlights: Click on tab above.
MISSOURI- Click on the Block GBE tab above. IOWA- For the Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance Click above.
Opposing the abuse of
EMINENT DOMAIN.
Make sure you are tuning into
our Block RICL Facebook page
for developments requiring
your action asap.
YES! We are here.
There are at least 5 major issues/projects we are working on.
GBE/Invenergy has started eminent domain proceedings in MO and filed at the Illinois Commerce Commission. It's not a "done deal" by a LONG, LONG, LONG shot.
Check into your local networks. TODAY.
Talk to your neighbors. DO NOT SIGN ANYTHING.
Watch our for your elderly neighbors. TODAY.
Contact us at saveourfarmland@hotmail.com
The IL Energy Bill passed with language making eminent domain for Grain Belt Express possible. (Major constitutional issues with this…..)
Ironic, isn't that Invenery/GBE lobbied
aggressively in MO against the exact opposite.
The Great Lakes Basin Transportation Co. (camouflaged as a railroad for eminent domain purposes) IS BACK. Again, plug into your local networks and STAY TUNED.
Why eminent domain in the wrong hands is BAD.
Saturday, June 12 update Click here.
Press Release 6.8.21 Click Here.
BLOCK RICL remains dedicated to fighting eminent domain abuse. Our strength against RICL was our power in numbers and working together. We need to pull together again and ACT.
RICL's sister merchant transmission line project was bought by Big Wind company Invenergy. Invenergy has been lobbying in Springfield, IL and appears to be winning for a LAW to allow any private company EMINENT DOMAIN for private, spec merchant transmission lines. It would reverse our IL Supreme Court decision. It has also been proposed to take wind/siting control away from counties.
It's less clear if the wording in the IL Senate Bill 2896 and House Bill 4074 extends to eminent domain for wind and solar in general, but this is a chance we CAN NOT take!
*More details, especially for all
in the GBE route: Click here
If you thought Skelly, Zilkhas, and Ziffs were reprehensible, meet the new billionaire owner thinking he's entitled to our land: Click here
ACT NOW! Contact SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com to get on our email list for
CALLS TO ACTION.
STAY TUNED to this page and our Facebook page for details- we're working on big things NOW including targeted call lists.
SPREAD THE WORD!!
Family, friends, neighbors,
church, etc. etc.
STATE EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE
We are receiving reports that IDOT (Illinois Department of Transportation) is in the habit of taking ownership of the existing land in easements for almost $0 compensation under the guise of "needing just a little more" for a highway or culvert project and calling it a "Right of Way."
Please share your experiences asap with saveourfarmland@hotmail.com.
FEDERAL EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE
Stay tuned. Really BIG changes are being proposed in Washington, D.C. (guess who's lobbying the loudest….) to add FEDERALLY sited transmission lines with FEDERAL eminent domain.
ARCHIVES
The following chronicles our past successes and posts. Please ACT NOW to protect what we've worked so hard to defeat and protect! The threats are bigger, stronger, and coming from every direction. We need EVERY person to do whatever you possibly can. Over and Over and Over!
Update: March 20, 2019
Great explanation on the real issues with
Grain Belt Express (GBE): Click here
Landowners Vow to Appeal Grain Belt Express Decision: Click here.
Update: Feb. 1, 2019
"Clean" Line Energy Partners Calls it QUITS.
AMEN!!
Rock Island "Clean" Line is finished in Illinois
and was dismissed with prejudice by the Illinois Commerce Commission on June 15, 2018.
To read the Illinois Commerce Commission
WELL DONE and THANK YOU
to everyone who contributed time, talents, and funds in this long but critical battle for landowner rights. Bravo.
3/13/18 Word just in that the 5th District Appellate Court has reversed the ICC's approval of GBE! The Court ruled (1) that a nonpublic utility applicant (GBE) may not use the Expedited Review process of the Public Utilities Act, and (2) GBE does not meet the definition of a public utility.
For a link to the Order, click here.
A reminder: In the 3rd District Appellate Court Order delivering a death blow to RICL, there were a SUBSTANTIAL number of issues with the ICC order that were never ruled on because they simply, first, weren't a public utility. There would STILL be SUBSTANTIAL hurdles besides simply qualifying as a "public utility" should "Clean" Line ever come back and try again in Illinois.
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
And the THIRD "Clean" Line project, Plains and Eastern, becomes a "might have" and not
a "could, would, maybe, might."
11/21/17: The IL Supreme Court has DENIED RICL's
petition for a rehearing. Our WIN stands
BRAVO!! EXCELLENT new documentary on
another transmission line battle that has so
MANY similarities to "Clean" Line projects that you could almost just substitute project names.
WOW. Watch to the end. WOW. Click here.
Dear RTO Insider, Crain's Chicago Business, and any other trade paper being lobbied to do puff pieces on "Clean" Line. Please do your OWN research.
The actual documents linked on this website and
here can be a helpful place to start.
BRAVO! BRAVO! BRAVO! Landowners prevail in
Illinois Supreme Court Opinion!!
Press Release: Click here.
IL Supreme Court Opinion: Here. Hint: Reporters, be sure to read this and
compare to RICL's purports.
BRAVO!! Missouri PSC DENIES GBE FOR THE THIRD TIME!
Watch the comments for the press release
and more details as they become available!
"Clean" Line has played a significant role in exposing true costs and in the backlash against Big Wind. Read here.
Failing "Clean" Line now wants taxpayers (us) to bail them out:
Read here. Nope, we're not surprised.
July 4th update in Missouri!
Great day for the
IL Landowners Alliance at the
Illinois Supreme Court! BRAVO!
Click here to watch the video.
Hint: Jump ahead to 25:52 to hear the clear and concise arguments!
BIG WIN!! Iowa passes law prohibiting high voltage merchant transmission lines (like RICL)
from using eminent domain!!!
More details to follow!
Breaking News:
RICL significantly downsized and failed to notify the IL Supreme Court.
Motion to Dismiss the Appeal
filed by ComED, May 2nd: Click here
Responses filed May 8, 2017:
ILA Response: Click here
IL Farm Bureau Response: Click here
IL Supreme Court Oral Arguments scheduled for May 17, 2017. BRING IT ON!
9 AM, 200 E Capitol St., Springfield, IL
Refresher on Appellate Court ruling: Click here.
BRAVO! IL Supreme Court
briefs filed on April 12th!
It just doesn't get much clearer than this. Thank you to EVERYONE who contributed their time, talents, and hard-earned money to stand up for what is right!
Illinois Landowners Alliance Brief: Click here
Illinois Farm Bureau Brief: Click here
ComEd Brief: Click here (Read p. 40-43!)
Update on the MO PSC Hearing. Click here.
BRAVO!! Oral Arguments at the IL 5th Appellate Court! GREAT summary of what's wrong with
"Clean" Line projects! Click here.
You know, that pesky stuff gathered under oath and not from salesman/lobbyist's spiel or "Clean" Line's fluffy PR.
Happy New Year! RICL has officially pulled out of Iowa, but the IL Supreme Court case is full speed ahead. Link to Iowa Utility Board document: Click here.
An EXCELLENT, must-watch video on what's really wrong about "Clean" Line projects and talks about TRUE costs. Click here.
IL Supreme Court to Hear RICL Appeal.
Thank you to the reporters contacting us!
For the press release, click here.
Thank you, Chicago Tribune and Becky Yerak.
Click here for a link to the article.
Heads up, Missouri!!
Critical Missouri PSC meetings coming up!
Please make every effort to attend!
IL Landowners Alliance and IL Farm Bureau
STRIKE BACK!! Click here.
In legal terms, the filing to the
IL Supreme Court is otherwise known as
"Answer to the Petition For Leave To Appeal"
And, anyone buying "Clean" Line's line that
ComEd's opposition is just "sour grapes,"
needs to read this Answer and the attached testimony. Click here.
Click here for blog explaining CLE's connection
to the U.S. Department of Energy and the attempted use of federal eminent domain through Section 1222.
Great article in the Earlville Post!
It's a proud day when our small town papers
do a wayyyyyyyy better job of reporting than
certain large business papers!
WE WON!!!!!!
The Illinois 3rd Appellate Court has ruled that the Illinois Commerce Commission erred in granting Rock Island "Clean" Line public utility status, and, IN A 3-0 UNANIMOUS decision, reversed the ICC order!!
Read the Court Opinion here!
Block RICL Press Release here!
For more information on the legal victory from Illinois Landowners Alliance attorneys: Click here.
For more information from Block RICL, go to our Facebook page by clicking on the Facebook tab.
"Clean" Line DROPS THE GUISE OF "CLEAN" !!
Fantastic read on "Clean" Line tactics. Click here.
Be sure to click on the link and READ "Clean Line's counsel says they meant to do that."
Meanwhile, in Iowa at the IUB…….. Click here.
Why the latest Missouri "Landowner Protections"
News on the appeal in IL Appellate Court for
Grain Belt Express. Click here.
Arkansas Landowner Catches "Clean" Line Contractors in a Web of Lies. Click here.
A fun (yet succinctly ON-POINT) read! Click here.
Clean Line "Disappointed,"
Then Has a Temper Tantrum
Countering the latest "Clean" Line SPIN in MO:
If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride.
Wall Street Journal LTE. Click here.
Eminent Domain Hurts Farmers Rights:
Eminent domain shouldn't be used when is serves commercial
interest at the expense of private individuals
Click on title for link to "Involuntary Covenants"
from the LSU Journal of Energy Law and Resources…..and "Clean" Line projects aren't necessary "infrastructure," but that's another post!
Congress Launches Investigation of DOE's
Clean Line Decision. Click here.
The Department of Energy's "Landowners Benefits" Ruse. Click here.
Using Politics to Build an Electric Grid is the
Definition of Insanity. Click here.
HERE's a GREAT response to the Dept. of Energy
(DOE) and "Clean" Line's (errr, Lies)
last publicity blitz on the DOE's decision to
"partner" with CLE.
U.S. DOE Takes Kickback From Investors to
Condemn Private Property. Click here.
Landowners to DOE: See Ya in Court. Click here.
We stand with our neighbors who are now
opposing the abuse of eminent domain for the
Great Lakes Basin Railroad.
For more information, please visit our Facebook page by clicking on the tab at the bottom right of the page.
Posts on "Clean" Line Projects:
Great response to the recent Bloomberg article that mentions "fierce op
We stand with our neighbors who are now
opposing the abuse of eminent domain for the
Great Lakes Basin Railroad.
For more information, please visit our Facebook page by clicking on the tab at the bottom right of the page.
Posts on "Clean" Line Projects:
Great response to the recent Bloomberg article that mentions "fierce opposition," but didn't bother to contact any of said opposition to find out if their assumptions were true. (They weren't.)
Here's the response. Click here.
position," but didn't bother to contact any of said opposition to find out if their assumptions were true. (They weren't.) Here's the response. Click here.
An insightful read on "Clean" Line's numbers,
tactics, and business plan. Click here.
Cookin' With Clean Line in Hannibal
Awesome (and funny) blog summarizing
"Clean" Line's latestactivity on their projects!
Clean Line Energy wins the "Eye Roll Olympics"
The Iowa Utility Board has DENIED RICL's third request for bifurcation! Congratulations Iowa!!
Listen to a radio interview of PRIA's President
Carolyn Sheridan outlining major points: Click here.
We are deeply appreciative of the Iowa Utility Board decision which clearly upholds the law and very carefully considered constitutional rights.
Video Message from Iowa: Click here.
A great explanation of RICL's THIRD attempt in Iowa:
Update on Grain Belt Express in Illinois:
Open Letter to RICL from 23 Iowa Representatives. Bravo and THANK YOU! Click here.
Industrial Wind is Destroying Iowa's Eagle Habitats
Illinois Third Appellate Court Hears Oral Arguments
Dec. 2nd IL Block RICL PRESS RELEASE: Click here.
Windward Iowa funded by "Clean" Line: Click here.
Many thanks, NPR Radio for a well-researched report!
To listen: Click here...........
Then pay attention to the ever changing numbers Amy Kurt stumbles over.
BRAVO to the IL Appellate Court Appeal Team!
Oral arguments were heard on Dec. 1st in Ottawa.
Click here for a quick summary.
New great LTE in the St. Louis Dispatch. Click here.
And another from Nov. 28: Click here.
And another new, must-read LTE in AR: Click here.
BLOCK groups across the Midwest are having very, very busy weeks!! Please go to our Facebook page for our many updates and press releases!
Word of Caution to the Press!
When the Illinois Commerce Commission ruled on RICL last November, NO ONE but the ICC knew the details of what was in the Final Order when RICL was "approved" by the ICC. The actual order (several hundred pages) was not released at the same time as the ICC meeting. Yet, "Clean" Line press releases touted a win, but omitted "small" details like the ICC also voting unanimously that RICL did not prove NEED, had to prove that all financing was in place before building, needed Iowa regulatory approvals, or were denied eminent domain. By the time these details were known, the stories were over and these important details failed to be reported.
Press Releases:
NEW: IL Appellate Court to Hear Oral Arguments on RICL: Click here.
For information on the initial Appeal filed in February: Click here.
Stay tuned for Block GBE press releases on today's expected ICC ruling.
Oct. 27, 2015 Update: GREAT letter to the DOE from Senator Tom Cotton!! Click here.
Arkansas Congressional Delegation sends letter to the Dept. of Energy Sec. Moniz.
GRAIN BELT EXPRESS HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN THE
ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT!
There's been many new updates lately and details are posted on our Facebook Pages!! Click on the Facebook tab bottom right side of this page to read the latest posts. A HUGE thank you to our great volunteers going the extra miles!!
MISSOURI PSC TURNS DOWN "Clean" Line's GBE!
The final vote and order is IN!!!!!
Press Release: Click here.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!
APPEAL BRIEFS IN ILLINOIS APPELLATE COURT:
Illinois Landowners Alliance: Click here.
IL Farm Bureau/IL Ag Association: Click here.
ComED: Click here.
BRAVO!!!! and Thank you!!!!
For simpler, shorter explanations of the legal issues being challenged,
read the ILA Press release and the Applications for Rehearings submitted to the ICC. All are linked below.
GREAT news coming from Iowa! Click here.
WOW! The Oklahoma Attorney General weighs in on "Clean" Line's Plains and Eastern project.
This is pure gold: Click here.
BRAVO! Here's a blueprint for townships, counties, and states being courted by "Clean" Line!
While we're not all potentially facing
federal eminent domain, this SPRA letter raises numerous issues that would impact us all and
outlines great points to consider if we ever
have to "negotiate" with "Clean" Line!!
This is a must-read! Click here.
Another SUPER, must-read letter from
BLOCK Plains and Eastern commenting on
the U.S. Dept. of Energy EIS for "Clean" Line's
federal eminent domain application.
Bravo, Block Plains and Eastern!! Click here.
Grain Belt Express has filed at the
Illinois Commerce Commission.
Thanks to all of reporters checking out what has come out UNDER OATH and not from the company's PR firms!! Go to the Block GBE tab above.
Illinois Landowners Alliance Files Appeal for
RICL ruling in Illinois Appellate Court
Press Release: Click here
For more Illinois news, scroll down this page.
Press Releases from last week:
A.K.A. "Clean" Line's Very, Very Bad Week.
Iowa: Click here
Missouri: Click here
Actual Missouri PSC Order: Click here
Arkansas: Click here
IOWA: Preservation of Rural Iowa/Stop RICL:
RICL has SIX lobbyists registered at the Capitol.
We need your help to send a strong message to legislators that our private property rights
need to be protected!!
Go to the Iowa website for more info: Click here.
Welcome, BLOCK Grain Belt Express- Illinois!
For more information, go to the Block RICL and
Block GBE- IL Facebook pages
or email SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com
Also click on the Block GBE tab above.
URGENT: Illinois Landowners!
RICL has attempted to add tax parcels to what
was on the ICC docket and what landowners were originally notified would be on the route!
Click here for the list of parcels included on the docket.
Click here for the route maps and legal description.
Contact us immediately at 815-315-8506 or email SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com :
-if you have NEVER been notified by RICL or are just now receiving first contacts
-if they're attempting to pad your tax parcels
- if you have been asked to sign generic, carte blanch forms to do more than the ICC order allows
- if you know of elderly landowners being targeted
If/when they go to the ICC to try again for eminent domain, these sorts of tactics wouldn't be in their favor.... at all.
Applications for Rehearings filed at the Illinois Commerce Commission that highlight the problems with the ICC Final Order:
2. Farm Bureau: Click here.
3. ComED: Click here.
This is a groundbreaking case through which future case law and precedent will be set. We deeply appreciate all of the intervening parties efforts in protecting ALL of our futures against a private, for-profit LLC's attempts to side step and bend existing laws written for the public-serving public utilities.
Yes, the ICC Order gives RICL the right to survey, but there are MAJOR things you need to know. Do NOT sign anything from RICL and attend the Farm Bureau informational meeting. It's likely that RICL would be asking you to sign away MORE rights than the very, very basic "soft survey" rights given in the ICC Order- Get informed and protected! Even the "soft survey" (visual only, no vehicles, no core borings, etc.) are being contested at the ICC.
The IL Commerce Commission (ICC) Final Order is in!
IT'S GREAT NEWS!! No eminent domain....
and not on the path to eminent domain.....yet.....
and with HEFTY conditions.
Click here for the full 200+ page order.
Also UNANIMOUSLY voted on by the IL Commerce Commission:
"Accordingly, the Commission finds that Rock Island has not demonstrated that the Project is necessary to provide adequate, reliable, and efficient service to customers within the meaning of Section 8-406 (b)(1)." P. 114 ICC Final Order Docket 12-0560
"According to Staff, Rock Island essentially concedes that no need for the proposed Project has actually been established." Click here.
Just how RISKY and SPECULATIVE is RICL? Click here.
RICL was denied under Sections 8-503 and 8-509 which would put them on the path to eminent domain. Since the judge in his proposed order clearly stated that RICL failed to prove need, (RICL argued they didn't have to), this could be a critical point if RICL were to try to petition again for those sections, and therefore eminent domain.
ARTICLES that were actually written after the actual Final Order was released and actually report on what the order actually says vs. RICL spin:
Mendota Reporter- ICC releases ruling: Click here.
AgriNews: Headline withheld because it is WRONG! Click here.
RICL does NOT have construction to build. They have to go back to the ICC and prove they have $2 Billion in hand, PJM Interconnections in place, MISO and PJM studies done, etc. etc.
Read a blog about RICL's premature press release: Click here.
Landowners can say NO. GO. AWAY. There is some surveying rights, but there's lots you need to know before allowing RICL on your land!
If land agents try to say RICL is a "done deal" and they'll just come back with eminent domain, they would be very, very wrong.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! And thank you to all of our volunteers who worked tirelessly and unselfishly on behalf of all of our land, income, investments , family legacies, and property rights!!!!
Chicago Tribune article on the ICC Ruling:
Press: Thank you to all the reporters contacting us for inormation!
Email SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com if you have not yet received our press release. Thank you!
Bravo! Great article in the St. Louis Dispatch
Yes, RICL has filed at the Iowa Utility Board.
NO!! It is- by far- NOT a done deal!
Watch for more info to be posted on
www.IowaStopRICL.com
and on Block RICL and Preservation of Rural Iowa Facebook pages.
In the meantime, here's what's come out of Illinois Commerce Commission testimony.... under oath.......and most testimony
applies to both RICL and GBE. It can't get much clearer than this.
These are succinct and interesting reads!
ILA Reply Brief on Exceptions: Click here.
Farm Bureau Brief on Exceptions: Click here.
ComED Reply Brief on Exceptions: Click here.
A MUST read from the MoDOT:
The Effects of Ground Voltage or Stray Current on Infrastructure Caused by HVDC Transmission Lines.
THIS IS, BY FAR, NOT A DONE DEAL, but it doesn't stop RICL from spinning more spin. Reporters and landowners don't be duped by RICL salesmen and land agents. Click here.
Click here for a link to the ICC proposed order which was likely be revised before going to the full commission.
Click on the Facebook tab bottom right for updates as we get them.
Read a commentary about the order: Click here.
CRITICAL CALL TO ACTION:
We have information coming in of more "Clean" Line kool-aid
form letters being used to gain influence- this time with the
U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.
Click here for what to do!
Click here to read a spot-on letter to Sec. Moniz.
Wow! The Block RICL Facebook page has passed
One Million Post Views!
Click on the big Facebook tab on the bottom of the page to see
what you're missing! No account needed.
A message from the BLOCK leaders:
It is a great privilege to work with so many dedicated, sincere, and talented people collaborating on a common goal. You are an inspiration to us and others! Check the Facebook page often!
There's small victories and breaking news almost every day!
Independent analysis of HVDC health risks!
Moberly Monitor article for the background
on the analysis: Click Here
Full BioInitiative Report: Click here
WIRL Radio interview that does a great job of defining why there is unprecedented opposition to "Clean" Line Projects: Click Here to Listen
Great explanation of why "Clean" Line's Tactics have drawn broad, Midwest-wide opposition: Formal Complaint to the MO PSC.
Click here to read.
Yes! First FERC Protest Filed by
Updates posted daily on Facebook. The best:
"RI emphasizes its ability to use eminent domain powers as a marketing point with its "potential" lenders and investors."
From ComEd Reply Brief to the Illinois Commerce Commission p. 32Eminent domain does NOT exist for PRIVATE companies to force PRIVATE individuals to "sell" PRIVATE property rights just so that PRIVATE individuals can ATTRACT lenders and investors.
That is WRONG. WRONG. WRONG.
Click the Facebook button on the lower right side. No account needed.
Read the full Initial Briefs for Illinois Commerce Commission Docket 12-0560 for "Clean" Line Energy Partners, LLC submitted Jan. 31, 2014.
1. ComED Click Here
2. Illinois Landowners Alliance (ILA) Click Here
3. Farm Bureau/ Illinois Ag Association Click Here
*4. Staff of the Illinois Commerce Commission Click Here
This is the staff's recommendation to the administrative law judge.
Judge Jones, in turn, will make a recommendation to the 5 judges on the commission. Initial briefs from all parties were due on Jan. 31st.
Stay tuned as we are able to post more!
For months, researchers across the Midwest have been collaborating. Their discoveries are now available as a compilation:
"The Other Side of "Clean" Line"
Click Here. (Use the arrows to move through the pages.)
Illinois Commerce Commission Hearings
have successfully concluded in Springfield, IL!
Excerpts are being posted on the Facebook page and on the Ridiculous RICL Blog!
(For both, click on the buttons on the bottom right of this page.)
Full transcripts are also being posted on the ICC e-docket. See out testimony highlight page for links.
MAJOR, MAJOR issues with the project were identified.
Again, the EARLIEST we could expect an ICC decision is well into 2014.
MISSOURI: Now is the time to make your voices heard! Go to the Block GBE tab above and visit www.BlockGBEMO.com. Click HERE.
........
ILLINOIS warning: RICL land agents are ignoring the formal notices sent to them requiring all correspondence being through the US mail.
MAKE SURE YOUR ELDERLY ARE PROTECTED
AND KNOW NOT TO SIGN ANYTHING FROM "CLEAN LINE"
EVERYONE: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!!
IOWA warning: RICL land agents are saying that the project has passed in Illinois. That is not correct!
The EARLIEST we can expect a decision for the IL portion of the route at the Illinois Commerce Commission is at least April or May, 2014. They face fierce opposition because this project LACKS MERIT and their kool-aid sales pitches DO NOT HOLD UP TO SCRUTINY.
There is unprecedented opposition from the Illinois Landowners Alliance (representing almost half of the IL route), the IL State Farm Bureau, and ComED which is the company that RICL has to go through to plug into the PJM grid. ComED's witness Naumann is one of the top experts in the world and his testimony is well worth the read!!! For links, go to the testimony tabs above.
The IOWA LEGAL process is different from Illinois, and we are about a year ahead of you in debunking the kool-aid sales pitch. Please click on the Iowa Block RICL tab above for more specific legal information.
However, we hope that you can benefit from our key points (not all directly related to Iowa) and the Illinois Commerce Commission testimony highlights where MAJOR concerns about the LACK of expertise, finances, planning, and plain-old, common-sense merit is testified to by expert witnesses.
There is MAJOR opposition to RICL because of the lack of merit in this project. Plain and simple.
Thank you to ALL who helped make the 2nd Round Illinois Forum a resounding success!
If you were in the fields, don't worry. We had it covered!!
Mendota Reporter Article:
Click here for the new handout on how RICL is NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT "like Ameren or ComEd."
GREAT article highlighting the reasons this is CRITICAL for Illinois (and all Midwest) consumers, ratepayers, taxpayers, voters, and landowners. In other words: ALL of us for many reasons:
To read "Clean Line Fails in Mendota," click HERE.
Local reporters estimate more than 700 people came to the first forum!
Landowners who had driven from as far away as the Mississippi were turned away. The auditorium was packed and the parking lot full.
To read lots more posts about the forum, click on the big Facebook Button on the bottom right. There's a couple you don't want to miss!
......
New, updated "Things you should know" flyer available HERE.
.....
Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) Testimony Highlights: Click on tab above.
MISSOURI- Click on the Block GBE tab above.
IOWA- For the Preservation of Rural Iowa Alliance Click above.
NEW Construction Video is a reality check for "Clean" Line's rose-colored-glasses version:
The simulation is based on RICL's Illinois Commerce Commission application, easement contracts already handed out, past statements of RICL reps, and standard construction procedures. Click here.
Hint: This is a big file. If you have slower internet, you may need to give it some time to download!
Illinois Commerce Commission: The testimony on Docket 12-0560 is valuable for ALL projects! For the ICC documents Click Here.
Hint: Start with June 25th ComEd and ICC staff testimony.
Click here for highlights as we continue to post them.
Uh-Oh. BUSTED. RICL's finances....or lack of..... Click Here.
"....RI has not claimed or proved public need in the FERC-jurisdictional regional planning process and despite the fact that RI's own witnesses underscore that this is a "spec"-like project that RI may not even try to build." ComED/ Naumann, p. 3
"This Project is simply not developed enough for final regulatory approval." ComED/Naumann, p.2
Economic benefits...without any costs figured in:
"Q: Has RICL demonstrated that the RICL Project's benefits outweighs its costs so that, on net, it is expedted to be beneficial to Illinois consumers?
A: No. The direct testimony presented by RICL witnesses focuses only on certain alleged benefits of the project. RICL has not compared the benfits to the project's expected costs." p. 11 ICC/Zuraski
"Indeed, the more imprudent, inefficient, costly, wasteful RICL is assumed to be, the greater the “benefit” that would be computed by Dr. Loomis’ model." p. 14 ICC/Zuraski
So all that propaganda touted by Detweiler, Connely, Doug Jones, Cottler, etc. in the last 3 years was based on ONLY possible (and in-your-dreams) benefits with NONE of the costs figured in.
Makes you wonder what else they haven't exactly been "forthcoming" about.
IOWA Alert: We have a new page specifically for Iowa here.
LAND AGENT BEWARE!! Have you received a certified letter asking you to meet with Mike Knox?
Here's your reply in Illinois: Notice to Deny Right of Way. Sign, copy, and mail certified to Patton.
This is a PRIVATE company. You do not have to meet with them until and only IF they become a public utility. IF, and it's a huge IF. Read our Land Agent Beware here. Instead, contribute to the legal fight through the Illinois Landowners Alliance (ILA) to deny "Clean" Line public utility status, and therefore eminent domain. To be referred to ILA, contact us at SaveOurFarmland@hotmail.com.
The AIMA (Agriculture Mitigation Agreement) DON'T BE DUPED: Hans Detweiler is making grandiose claims that an AIMA (Agriculture Impact Mitigation Agreement) has been reached with the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture. What took so long? Read more here.
From the Illinois Dept. of Agriculture: This does NOT consitute an endorsement of the project in ANY way. See their letter sent to landowners here.
Where else would it be okay for a private company to use eminent domain to cut a swath through the middle of a privately owned factory, put up major obstructions in the production line, and think it's okay to pay less than market value for the property in the easement only?
Block RICL, originated in northern Illinois, but now stretches across the midwest in a networks of friends, neighbors and families. We are joining our talents and resources to oppose "Clean" Line Energy Partners, LLC projects- including Rock Island "Clean" Line, Grain Belt Express, and Plains and Eastern, in addition to other unnecessary transmission line projects that are being proposed in the midwest - at the cost of billions of dollars to the taxpayer and consumer.
"Clean" Line Energy Partners, LLC, expects us to believe that this project would make our electric prices go down. By what creative accounting can that be even remotely possible when “Clean” Line’s own power point presentation states that the estimated cost of delivered wind is $70 per megawatt hour- including $25 per megawatt hour in transmission cost- when our current electric prices are around $30 per megawatt hour???
BLOCK RICL Initiatives:
Add YOUR voice to our ongoing BLITZ campaign until Illinois calls a moratorium on all new transmission lines.
ONLINE Petition: Click, sign, and send to all your friends, family, and neighbors!!
Call and email Governor Quinn with this message:
"We are calling for a moratorium on ALL new transmission line projects in Illinois until we can evaluate ALL lines collectively to assess the actual needs, benefits, and especially the COSTS to Illinois landowners, taxpayers, and consumers."
RICL (parent company "Clean" Line Energy) is a private company intending to use eminent domain to build a 500-mile high-voltage DC power line near homes and through prime Illinois and Iowa farmland. The 200-foot easements alone would take over 12,000 acres and impact thousands more in the building and maintenance of these structures and future additions to easements!
Representatives of RICL claim that they are not "currently" applying for eminent domain in IL; however, they neglect to say that IF RICL receives public utility status, then being granted the right of eminent domain is basically procedural.
The towers would be up to 200 feet tall - or higher - per plans submitted to the ICC. The Statue of Liberty is 150 feet tall.
