We're all kind of in a post-Draft EIS comment period stupor, but we did read the Quadrennial Energy Review and, I have to say, we liked a lot of what we read. State involvement, effective public engagement, agency collaboration, and keeping the transmission footprint as small as possible (using underground and existing easements) were all listed as critical to the timely and responsible development of new infrastructure. And long distance transmission for renewables to load centers did not seem to be the "be all and end all" Clean Line claims it is. In fact, the review went so far as to say the need for that kind of transmission is lessening due to the increasing availability of local renewables thanks to rapidly improving tech.
I'd love to write more and add some pictures, but I gotta get the kids to school... And can I just say, it feels like we've been let out of jail. I know this whole fight is long from over, but for the last year we've all been completely consumed by Clean Line. I can't tell you what this fight has cost us. It's been exhausting... emotionally, financially... And while there have been amazing moments between neighbors... friendships built and connections made that will have made us a stronger community. A stronger Arkansas... I can't help lamenting, and being furiously angry, over what we've lost.
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