The U.S. Department of Energy released its preliminary list of National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETCs) this week.
Interested persons have only 45-days to make comment on these corridors before DOE makes its selections to proceed to the next round. DOE is not doing any notification for property owners within these corridors. It is not doing any public education and engagement, aside from one "listen only" webinar with limited space (sign up now!) There will be no public meetings. DOE is not even sharing the information and recommendations it received from transmission owners (and others) in its Phase 1 information submission window. Their maps are very generalized and have no details. We're supposed to comment on something that we have very little information about within a very short time window. It sort of sounds like DOE doesn't actually want us to comment.
But that only makes me want to comment more. And spread the word like transmission's Paul Revere...
Interested persons have only 45-days to make comment on these corridors before DOE makes its selections to proceed to the next round. DOE is not doing any notification for property owners within these corridors. It is not doing any public education and engagement, aside from one "listen only" webinar with limited space (sign up now!) There will be no public meetings. DOE is not even sharing the information and recommendations it received from transmission owners (and others) in its Phase 1 information submission window. Their maps are very generalized and have no details. We're supposed to comment on something that we have very little information about within a very short time window. It sort of sounds like DOE doesn't actually want us to comment.
But that only makes me want to comment more. And spread the word like transmission's Paul Revere...
First of all, we absolutely must have more time and information in order to make effective comment on something that threatens to put a cloud on our property in perpetuity. Being located in a NIETC is a designation that will stick with your property, making it the first choice for new transmission projects. How can our government make these kinds of land-use planning decisions that affect literally millions of people without providing notice and giving us information and time to comment?
This is unacceptable!
This is unacceptable!
The first order of business is to demand the notice and information we need. Therefore, I am urging everyone to send a letter to the DOE asking for notice, information and extension of the comment deadline. It's quick and easy... simply download this prepared letter, add your name and other info. and then email it as an attachment to: [email protected].
| extension_request.docx |
It is recommended that you include in your email a request for acknowledgement that DOE received your comment, since there is no automatic acknowledgement provided.
One brief explanation: On the bottom of the letter it includes a request for full party status. Being a party doesn't come with any additional duties or expense, it simply allows you to request rehearing or appeal any corridor that impacts you in the future. It does not require you to do so, but it reserves your right to do so if you choose. If you do not request that right, you will have to live with DOE's future decision and cannot take any legal action. It's just a safety measure to protect your rights.
And one more thing... we cannot rely on DOE to act on our requests without a little encouragement, no matter how many we send. Therefore, it is recommended that you also contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and ask them to demand that DOE provide notice, public engagement and an extended comment deadline for their constituents who are impacted by these huge corridors. Here's your quick and easy guide for getting that done with just a couple clicks:
One brief explanation: On the bottom of the letter it includes a request for full party status. Being a party doesn't come with any additional duties or expense, it simply allows you to request rehearing or appeal any corridor that impacts you in the future. It does not require you to do so, but it reserves your right to do so if you choose. If you do not request that right, you will have to live with DOE's future decision and cannot take any legal action. It's just a safety measure to protect your rights.
And one more thing... we cannot rely on DOE to act on our requests without a little encouragement, no matter how many we send. Therefore, it is recommended that you also contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives and ask them to demand that DOE provide notice, public engagement and an extended comment deadline for their constituents who are impacted by these huge corridors. Here's your quick and easy guide for getting that done with just a couple clicks:
| contact_congress.pdf |
Everyone should get started on this RIGHT NOW so that these requests are in the works early in the comment process. Of course we are also going to encourage everyone to make more substantive comment on the actual corridors that impact them, but that's a post for another day. Stay tuned!
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