“The project is too important to Missouri’s energy future not to pursue,” Clean Line Energy officials said, adding that the state’s ruling also deprived the rest of country of low-cost, clean energy."

“We continue to be disappointed by the lack of respect shown by Clean Line to landowners and citizens of Missouri,” opposition leader and farmer Jennifer Gatrel said Thursday. “They have been told no in every way possible and yet they persist in attempting to override the will of the people and the decision by our commissioners.”

"To bring Illinois forward in clean energy, we need dedicated direct current lines here in our state," said Taylorville's Patty Rykhus.

The GBE production modeling studies do not support the GBE allegation that the Project would result in lower retail electric rates for consumers.

Shelby County landowner Clint Richter said that, "it's not that we're not for renewable energy, but we're against a private company coming in and taking land that's ours for their own private gain and I think that's what is really happening here."

WAND-TV's Ed Cross asked, "why is that such a concern?"

"Well it's a concern because I think all of us know what it's like to work hard to save up money to buy land to something that's special and important to you and to have someone come in and basically say 'hey I want that, I'm going to take that land, and I'm going to make some money off it,' I don't think that sits well with a lot of people," added Richter.

A complete burial of the Northern Pass transmission line would nearly double the project’s cost, but reduce potential negative impacts on the environment, tourism and local property values, according to a draft report released by the U.S. Department of Energy Tuesday.

While the proposed Northern Pass project — made up primarily of overhead lines strung between Pittsburg, N.H., and Deerfield, N.H. — would be the cheapest option at roughly $1.02 billion, it would also pose the greatest environmental and visual impact, the report says.

Four of the alternatives call for a complete burial of the transmission line. Another calls for partial burial beneath Interstate 93 through Franconia Notch, or along Routes 112 and 116 through the White Mountain National Forrest.

Five call for burial along existing roads and highways, options with the least environmental impact, the report says. All of the underground alternatives carry the highest costs, ranging from $1.83 billion to $2.11 billion.

The visual impact, which includes “large industrial-appearing lattice structures,” could negatively impact New Hampshire’s tourism and recreation, the report says. And the proposed overhead route likely would cause the largest drop in residential property values and have the least economic tax benefit to host communities.

Putting the line underground, as opposed to overhead, lessens the impact on tourism, recreation, historic resources and the environment, the review says.

Burying the line requires less vegetation removal and has fewer effects on wildlife, including protected species. The buried lines are less susceptible than the overhead lines to damage from extreme weather.

Construction of the overhead line would generate fewer short-term and permanent jobs than an underground alternative, the report says.

But, the report says, blasting during construction would generate more noise than putting the lines overhead. And burial of the line would increase the potential for erosion.

The hearings are set in communities in the western, central and eastern portions of the state in order to reach out to Illinoisans who would be directly affected by the proposed transmission line. As proposed, the line would run through Pike, Scott, Greene, Macoupin, Montgomery, Christian, Shelby, Cumberland and Clark counties.

The forums will have two parts; the first part of the forum will be an opportunity for the public to provide oral and/or written comments into the record. This portion will last for 90 minutes and each speaker will have a 3-minute time limit. After the public comment portion, ICC staff will conduct an informal question and answer session.
The dates, times and location for the Public Forums are:
Tuesday, July 28 at 5 p.m. at the Pike/Scott County Farm Bureau office at 1301 East Washington in Pittsfield.
Wednesday, July 29 at 9:30 a.m. in the Pana Junior High Auditorium, 203 W. 8th Street in Pana.
Wednesday, July 29 at 4 p.m. at the Gerald R. Forsythe Performing Arts Center, Marshall Junior High School, 806 N. 6th Street in Marshall.

Provide specialized legal advice and expertise in the following practice areas: corporate;
debt financings, including construction, secured project finance and/or corporate finance; equity finance; project development; public-private partnerships; contracts, including contracts specific to transmission projects such as power purchase agreements
transmission service agreements, and engineering, procurement and construction
contracts; bankruptcy involving energy-related insolvencies; real estate and land use, including multi-state, high-voltage electric transmission infrastructure siting; mortgages
and lending; energy law, focusing on multi-state, high-voltage electric transmission
infrastructure projects; environmental law; procurement, including procurements under the Federal Acquisition Regulations and familiarity with federal-specific contract terms
and concepts (such as “Buy American” provisions, prohibition on binding arbitration,
etc.); federal fiscal law, including the Anti-Deficiency Act; and employment and labor, including the Davis-Bacon Act and project labor agreements.

Partner – Project Manager. This individual is an expert in project finance and development and related issues with special expertise in multi-state, high voltage electric transmission matters. This individual must have experience representing clients in public private
partnerships.
The Project Manager will have overall responsibility for managing work under the contract and for reporting to the COR. This individual must have the ability to: 1) coordinate and direct work of others
under the contract; 2) efficiently and quickly form and communicate legal opinions and strategies regarding implementation of the Section 1222 program; and 3) represent DOE in negotiations.
This individual must have extensive experience in the practice of law, with at least fifteen years of experience in transmission project finance and development.
This individual should have experience working with organizations within the federal government, and be knowledgeable about the special administrative and public policy responsibilities of such organizations.
Candidate must possess a Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school and an active bar membership.

A week before the vote, Loren Sprouse — along with two brothers, he farms land in Caldwell County that’s been in the family since 1919 — said of Grain Belt: “This is a giant land grab by a huge company. They (Clean Line) are a private, for-profit company trying to masquerade as a public utility.”

After Wednesday’s vote, Sprouse said: “Now we can get back to the important business of feeding America.”

Clean Line Investor Corp. is a subsidiary of ZAM Ventures, L.P., which is one
of the principal investment vehicles for ZBI Ventures, LLC. ZAM Ventures, L.P. has a consolidated net worth of $500 million based on U.S. GAAP measurements. ZBI Ventures,
LLC is owned by Ziff Brothers, a multi-billion dollar family investment fund.

...there appears to be some confusion at the Missouri Public Service Commission about how the project will benefit Missourians.

“There’s also a chance we might abandon the project,” he said.

Holding this proceeding in abeyance and allowing the Company to obtain such additional information and to work with Staff to develop additional production cost models would prejudice no one.