High drama in Missouri on Wednesday as reported HERE, HERE and HERE.
HB1062 is about eminent domain. What the Missouri legislature does here will have far reaching effects on its future. Is Missouri another New London, tossing its own citizens under the bus in exchange for the empty promises of an out-of-state corporation? Is Missouri so eager to have the crumbs and fake "friendship" of corporate America that it supports the taking of private property to get it? Of course, the private property being taken belongs to someone else, not the suddenly fierce eminent domain advocates who have sprung up in Missouri to oppose HB 1062.
It doesn't matter what some city thinks it will save on utility transmission capacity costs. It doesn't matter whether eminent domain is "a last resort." What matters is the eminent domain.
Representative Hansen's bill wisely separates above ground HVDC merchant transmission from utilities granted eminent domain for a reason. It's because merchant projects like this are not public utilities who provide service to all customers at consistent "cost of service rates". Grain Belt Express may be the first above ground HVDC merchant transmission project proposing to "fly over" Missouri, but it won't be the last. There's a huge push by big wind and big transmission to build trillions of dollars of new energy infrastructure in the Midwest that becomes America's newest power plant. They're doing this because it's profitable and your federal tax dollars subsidize it. And they don't care who gets in their way.
Merchant transmission like this isn't a public utility because it negotiates rates with only select customers who pay the most for its supplemental, optional service. Unlike public utilities, who provide service to all customers that request it, GBE provides service only to the highest bidders who can afford to buy service. Each customer's rate is different as negotiated, and may favor some customers with lower rates than others. The service provided by merchant transmission isn't necessary to keep the lights on. Nobody will be denied electricity if they can't get merchant service because what a merchant offers is a supplemental "it would be nice if..." kind of electric service. This kind of utility serves private use and does not rise to the level of public need necessary to confiscate the property of others.
It would be nice if I had a red car, I've always wanted a red car. The dealership in the next state over promised me I can have a $500 discount on a shiny new red car if I bring them my neighbor's antique pick up truck for trade. The dealer has always wanted an antique pick up truck almost as much as I want a red car, but my neighbor has refused to sell it to him willingly. But, hey, that's what eminent domain in Missouri is for... so I can take something that belongs to my neighbor and use it to barter a deal that benefits only me and the dealer.
Sound silly? Yes, but this is exactly what the opposition to HB 1062 is asking the Missouri Legislature to do.
It's time for Missouri's legislators to take a stand against eminent domain abuse by making HB 1062 into law. And Grain Belt Express needs to step up to create a project that provides real benefit to Missouri and stop asking for a handout. Invenergy CAN build GBE without eminent domain authority, it just doesn't want to because it's less profitable to bury the project or negotiate with landowners in a truly free market where eminent domain isn't an option.
Tell your senators to do the right thing, Missouri!
HB1062 is about eminent domain. What the Missouri legislature does here will have far reaching effects on its future. Is Missouri another New London, tossing its own citizens under the bus in exchange for the empty promises of an out-of-state corporation? Is Missouri so eager to have the crumbs and fake "friendship" of corporate America that it supports the taking of private property to get it? Of course, the private property being taken belongs to someone else, not the suddenly fierce eminent domain advocates who have sprung up in Missouri to oppose HB 1062.
It doesn't matter what some city thinks it will save on utility transmission capacity costs. It doesn't matter whether eminent domain is "a last resort." What matters is the eminent domain.
Representative Hansen's bill wisely separates above ground HVDC merchant transmission from utilities granted eminent domain for a reason. It's because merchant projects like this are not public utilities who provide service to all customers at consistent "cost of service rates". Grain Belt Express may be the first above ground HVDC merchant transmission project proposing to "fly over" Missouri, but it won't be the last. There's a huge push by big wind and big transmission to build trillions of dollars of new energy infrastructure in the Midwest that becomes America's newest power plant. They're doing this because it's profitable and your federal tax dollars subsidize it. And they don't care who gets in their way.
Merchant transmission like this isn't a public utility because it negotiates rates with only select customers who pay the most for its supplemental, optional service. Unlike public utilities, who provide service to all customers that request it, GBE provides service only to the highest bidders who can afford to buy service. Each customer's rate is different as negotiated, and may favor some customers with lower rates than others. The service provided by merchant transmission isn't necessary to keep the lights on. Nobody will be denied electricity if they can't get merchant service because what a merchant offers is a supplemental "it would be nice if..." kind of electric service. This kind of utility serves private use and does not rise to the level of public need necessary to confiscate the property of others.
It would be nice if I had a red car, I've always wanted a red car. The dealership in the next state over promised me I can have a $500 discount on a shiny new red car if I bring them my neighbor's antique pick up truck for trade. The dealer has always wanted an antique pick up truck almost as much as I want a red car, but my neighbor has refused to sell it to him willingly. But, hey, that's what eminent domain in Missouri is for... so I can take something that belongs to my neighbor and use it to barter a deal that benefits only me and the dealer.
Sound silly? Yes, but this is exactly what the opposition to HB 1062 is asking the Missouri Legislature to do.
It's time for Missouri's legislators to take a stand against eminent domain abuse by making HB 1062 into law. And Grain Belt Express needs to step up to create a project that provides real benefit to Missouri and stop asking for a handout. Invenergy CAN build GBE without eminent domain authority, it just doesn't want to because it's less profitable to bury the project or negotiate with landowners in a truly free market where eminent domain isn't an option.
Tell your senators to do the right thing, Missouri!
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