Invenergy Finally Says It Will Stop Going Door-to-Door During Pandemic

Two days ago I asked what it was going to take to make Invenergy show some consideration for others and stop making unannounced visits to landowners across the state.

Here's what it took.

The people of Missouri could have no better advocate than Ralls County Presiding Commissioner Wiley Hibbard.  When he found out that Invenergy was continuing to make its door-to-door calls on landowners, and also sending agents from out-of-state to do business at the Ralls County Courthouse, he kept working until the issue was resolved.

It also took intervention by the Governor's office, Rep. Jim Hansen, Missouri Farm Bureau, MLA and EMLA attorney Paul Agathen, opposition group leaders, and the landowners themselves.

But, finally, Invenergy acquiesced this morning and said it would halt the in-person visits.  Of course, they also claimed they never made them in the first place, or if they did it was at the landowner's invitation.

An Invenergy official said the contacts ended last week and included communicating with the landowners.

"Members of our team held meetings, upon approval from landowners, to discuss conducting these surveys later this spring,” said Beth Conley, Invenergy spokeswoman. “These meetings were halted when CDC guidance limited the ability to have in-person meetings.”

'scuse me, Beth, but the CDC guidance for social distancing started long before last week.  That's why the people were so disgusted by Invenergy's refusal to stop putting them at risk with home visits!  Quit trying to pretend Invenergy wasn't doing anything wrong.  Invenergy put the lives of Missourians at risk by sending traveling land agents and courthouse researchers from other areas into their communities, and Invenergy did it long after the first request to stop was made.

And how DARE you pretend that any of these visits were made with the "approval" of landowners?  "Approval" would imply prior consent, not just showing up unannounced, which is what Invenergy agents did.  Just because landowners answered the door doesn't mean they "approved" the visits.

And Invenergy would still be doing it without all the effort of many people in Missouri.  Like these people don't have anything better to do than invest a week of their time trying to inspire some ethics at Invenergy?  I'm thinking that this company must regularly put its own profits over the well-being of the communities where it does business.  Not exactly a way to inspire confidence in landowners that they would be treated fairly in easement negotiations, is it?  Invenergy = public relations fail.

And what else does Beth have to say?

Since the state commission approved the Grain Belt Express, a number of “development activities” must take place before the beginning of construction, which is expected in late 2021, Conley said.

For example, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services and the Missouri Department of Conservation require Invenergy to conduct bat surveys so the line can avoid rare populations of the species, she said.

Someone get the hose... I smell something burning!  Does Invenergy really think construction is going to begin in 2021 when it hasn't even applied for a permit in Illinois yet?  Hey, guess what?  Those bats will still be there after the pandemic.  You're not convincing me that there's an urgent need to survey them during a pandemic, a need so urgent that people's lives should be put at risk.  And what do you mean "avoid"?  I think the word Beth was looking for is "mitigate."  Mitigate:  make less severe, serious, or painful, lessen the gravity of (an offense or mistake).  No transmission line has ever "avoided" endangered bats, they only "mitigate" the damage they cause.

So, mission accomplished, for now.  Be sure to let your group leaders know if you receive any more uninvited visitors.  The groups have requested that Invenergy monitor the health of its representatives that have traveled through rural Missouri over the past two weeks and to notify the groups if any Invenergy agent becomes ill.  By the same token, any landowners who become ill after having come in contact with an Invenergy representative should probably let group leaders know so the information can be passed on to Invenergy.

With this kind of introduction, Invenergy's going to have an even bigger hill to climb in Missouri... or maybe it's more a hole to slither out of...

Pretty despicable, Invenergy.