October 21, 2017
Iowa

Invenergy VP slanders expert cited by activist

National Wind Watch

At a public hearing in Palo Alto County, Iowa, on October 5, Invenergy VP and lead attorney Mike Blazer claimed that real estate appraiser Mike McCann was currently subject to a license revocation proceeding.

McCann, who has studied and reported on the effect of industrial-scale wind energy facilities on surrounding property values, was one of the experts cited by Janna Swanson in her testimony concerning the 170-turbine wind energy project proposed by Blazer’s company.

Blazer is recorded on a video from the hearing, saying:

“I could say a lot about all of the people that Ms. Swanson just identified. I’m just going to give you one example so you have an understanding of the people she’s relying on. She identified an individual named Michael McCann as a so-called expert with respect to property values. Mr. McCann is, at least up until now, a licensed real estate appraiser in the state of Illinois. He is currently the subject of license revocation proceeding brought by the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, the licensing entity of the state of Illinois. And I will just read to you what he has done: failed to produce a credible reappraisal review; included altered data presentation; failed to produce a report without bias; made other errors or omissions that led the filing of a misleading report. And as a result of that, the state of Illinois licensing entity brought a proceeding seeking to revoke his license.”

Swanson contacted McCann after the hearing and learned that it was Blazer himself who made the allegations and sought to have McCann’s license revoked.

McCann told her that after reviewing Blazer’s allegations and McCann’s report and testimony, the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation did not pursue any charges.

On October 20, he sent a letter to the Palo Alto County Board of Supervisors describing his experience, clarifying the situation regarding Mr. Blazer – which he characterized as “vindictive allegations by a self-interested party” – and offering his services.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/10/21/invenergy-vp-slanders-expert-cited-by-activist/