First, the Cherokee Nation's Tribal Council unanimously approved a resolution in opposition to Plains and Eastern. Please check out the video from that meeting. The Plains and Eastern discussion begins at minute 46. Possibly the most interesting comment comes from a Ms. Watts, who rightfully calls for an investigation as to why no one in the tribe had heard of the line until recently, when Clean Line claims to have been in contact with the CN for the last three years.
Several hours later, Clean Line Energy Partners issued a press release celebrating their approval as a transmission only utility in Tennessee. As we have not yet been able to review the order from the TRA, we can't comment on the specifics. Experience in Illinois tells us that Clean Line is adept at spinning regulatory approval, but regardless of the details, this is a big deal for them... And probably for those last few holdout landowners in Tennessee waiting for them to get that approval before signing easements.
We knew our efforts in Tennessee were a long shot, but we are so proud of the hundreds of people who signed our letter and sent in letters of their own. And, really, part of what we're fighting for is the ability of state and regional planning organizations to maintain their sovereignty. The TRA's decision to allow Clean Line utility status in spite of the objections in Arkansas and Oklahoma are a consequence of that sovereignty. That's not such a bad thing. Click here to view the docket and the letters in opposition.
How does this relate to the project as a whole? Well, once again, Clean Line has put the cart about 700 miles in front of the horse. They have their endpoint all sewn up, while the people in the middle are throwing their hands up and asking, "Clean who?" And, clearly, they're not all that happy with the answer.
How do we know that? Well, Clean Line makes a big deal about it's involvement with local government. Their goal is to get those guys on board. They've been pretty open about that... But there's a big, huge, honkin' problem with that strategy... You can't expect to get away with it if the people, the landowners, aren't on board, too. The local government is elected by the people. Not the people who live two hundred miles away, but neighbors, friends, and family members. So when the grocer's kid calls his local judge crying because the house he just built two years ago is on the route and NOBODY seemed to know about the scoping period, there aren't enough promises of tax income in the world to ease the queasy feeling that judge is going to get in the pit of his stomach. It also doesn't help when Clean Line's reps roll their eyes at landowners during county meetings (Way to go, Mario!! Listen, you can say we're full of it all day, but the bottom line is that if you guys had gone about this whole thing a little differently, we would not find ourselves the situation that we do.)
Where's the proof? Here, here, and here. Three quorum courts. Three unanimous resolutions in opposition to Plains and Eastern. Are they binding? No, but they're important. You want to take the temperature of the mood of the people? There you go. By the way, Pope is one of the two counties that have been suggested as home to the converter station. I guess taxes aren't everything...
Meanwhile, we continue to hold meetings in an attempt to reach people who still don't know about the line... Though we still get the occasional immediately affected landowner who doesn't know, we've seen a huge increase in pissed off neighbors, if I can be so blunt. People who live next to the proposed route, but not on it. I'll let this gentleman explain...
Before I go, I mentioned blossoming Clean Line opposition in multiple states in my last post. I should have just linked to all the different groups. Come visit us:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/blockcleanlinepope/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Arkansas-Citizens-Against-Clean-Line-Energy/1397073527241617
http://arblockcleanline.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlockPECLOK/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/642766385769035/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Block-RICL-Rock-Island-Clean-Line/133050610203359
http://www.blockricl.com/
https://www.facebook.com/blockgrainbeltexpressmo
http://blockgbemo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Block-Clean-Line-Energy/474445082622090
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Block-Grain-Belt-Express-Illinois/344837389031181
http://ridiculousricl.blogspot.com/
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