February 12, 2020
Missouri

Information wanted from Grain Belt Express company

By Clayton Anderson | News-Press NOW | St. Joseph News-Press | February 11, 2020 | www.newspressnow.com

Clinton County Presiding Commissioner Patrick Clark was expecting a meeting with Invenergry the company in charge of the high power energy line known as the Grain Belt Express in the Clinton County Courthouse Wednesday, while the meeting was canceled by Invenergy Clark is is hoping for information from the company.

The line is scheduled to run from Kansas to Indiana with Missouri in the middle of the line. The line is scheduled to run through Northwest Missouri including Clinton County. Invenergy is trying to use the line to transfer clean wind energy from Kansas and provide more access to a renewable energy source.

Clark said that people in the county are worried about eminent domain. He said he believed the cancelled meeting would be well attended as people would like to her answers to their potential questions.

“The eminent domain is definitely a sticking point,” Clark said. “When somebody can come on your land and say, I don’t care what you say, we’re taking it, that’s a big concern.”

The rescheduled meeting will be held on Feb. 27, the public are allowed to attend, although Clark said he does not anticipate it being a forum with the public and the company. It is scheduled to be a meeting with the private company and the commissioners.

“It would behoove them to work with the landowners,” Clark said. “it would behoove them to have information and be honest with the people.”

Clark and the county commission have a moratorium on insurance of special use permit or any permit with activities using transmission lines until public hearings are held.


URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2020/02/12/information-wanted-from-grain-belt-express-company/