Holy plagiarism, Batman!  I ended up with a copy of Grain Belt Express Clean Line's "Code of Conduct" for Right-of-Way Agents and Subcontractors in my email today.

This silly document is nothing but window dressing masquerading as "proof" that Clean Line's land sharks are following some sort of moral compass.  This document does nothing to stop land shark abuse of landowners.  Who's supposed to enforce it?  Nobody!  What are the penalties or legal remedies for violation?  There aren't any!  It's your word against theirs.

This document has an interesting history.  Notice how it's written to supposedly prohibit certain behaviors?  Does the specificity of certain tactics seem a bit odd to you?  That's because each one of these land agent no-nos was a tactic actually perpetrated on landowners in Pennsylvania by land agents for TrAILCo.  This "Code of Conduct" came into existence through a court battle fought by the Pennsylvania Office of the Consumer Advocate, who is tasked with representing the interests of consumers, who had been victim to these very same land agent tactics.  In its original form, it was enforceable by the Pennsylvania authorities.  In its current incarnation, it's not worth the paper it's printed on.  It's mere suggestion that is more for the landowner's benefit as an imaginary security blanket than it is a set of rules for Clean Line's land sharks.

The "Code" was re-used by TrAILCo's parent company for their subsequent PATH project.  Turned out that the West Virginia PSC wasn't interested in enforcing it, therefore, the document was worthless.  PATH land sharks violated it constantly, according to affected landowners.

And now Clean Line has plagiarized this document from PATH, thinking it will fool a whole new crop of rubes in the midwest.  Not.  It's even complete with the same PATH-created typos... what a bunch of idiots you are, Clean Line!!

So, what's your best defense?  Refuse to speak or interact with Clean Line land sharks without the assistance of your attorney and insist that all conversations be recorded.  You'll still have to pursue any "violations" through civil court, but I have a feeling the land sharks won't be so willing to star in your own personal video production and will avoid you and your camera or tape recorder like a.... plague of bolt weevils, perhaps?

It looks like Clean Line Energy Partners' opposition denial honeymoon is so o-ver!

In addition to the active and vocal BlockRICL opposition that has been giving the Rock Island Clean Line headaches in the states of Illinois and Iowa, now citizens of other Midwestern states, like Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, are questioning the Grain Belt Express and Plains & Eastern Clean Line projects and beginning to organize to oppose those projects.

Silly Clean Line, you can't build a transmission line without opposition.  It's not about whether the transmission line is transporting "clean" or "dirty" energy, it's about need for the transmission line.  Affected landowners will always question the determination of need for a new transmission line.  And what does Clean Line have?  "Wind" energy must be transported to east coast states so that wind developers in Kansas, Oklahoma and Iowa can get rich?  Its not about farmers or landowners cashing in, it's all about private, for-profit corporations and their investors making a whole bunch of money off the backs of what they arrogantly consider to be uneducated rube farmers and environmentally conscious but sadly oblivious east coast consumers who are easily fooled by the green-washing Midwest "wind" scheme.

Let's examine some of the propaganda and empty promises Clean Line is utilizing in a rather sad, transparent attempt to build false advocacy for its project with the hope that it will be enough to influence state siting approvals.

1.  Hold "open houses" for local businesses and "collect their information" and tell them they will be notified to bid on project supplies and labor when the time comes.  By making these kinds of empty promises to local businesses, Clean Line buys their support and advocacy for free!  By the time these local businesses realize that there's no role for them in building one of these "clean" lines, it's too late.  The Texas shysters will already have their state approval to take property by eminent domain and build their money-making transmission line with imported labor and supplies.  The fact is that building high voltage transmission is a highly specialized industry and labor will be imported for the duration.  The only "local" jobs may be a few fast food servers or motel housekeepers to serve these professional transmission builders for a few weeks while temporarily housed in your locality building the line.  Supplies and components will be contracted from a handful of large corporations, many of them manufactured in other countries.  If you don't believe me that Clean Line's promises to local businesses are empty, try getting Clean Line to sign a supply or labor contract with your local company today.

2.  Holding "open houses" for landowners and pretending that Clean Line is interested in answering questions and receiving information from affected landowners.  This is a ruse used by the company to evaluate the possibility of opposition and give the appearance of community consultation.  It is also set up to divide and conquer landowners individually by suggesting that cooperation could push the line over onto a neighbor's property *wink, nod.*  Landowners come away with more questions than answers, but most likely the magic has already happened, despite Clean Line's best obfuscating efforts.  The ones who will lead the opposition to the project have already self-selected and made important contacts with like-minded individuals over plates of free Clean Line ham.

"One landowner came with a plastic sack and took about a two-inch width of slices of ham. I looked at him and he said, 'I've got cats,' " Nelson said. "Everybody else was saying, 'We might as well eat. That might be all we get.' "

3.  Pretending that the transmission lines will carry 100% renewable energy desperately wanted and needed in east coast states and that the cost of the lines will not be end up in local electric bills.  These "clean" lines will also carry electricity generated by fossil fuels because the maximum capacity for a variable resource like wind is somewhere around 35%.  Also, federal regulations prohibit Clean Line from banning fossil-fuel generators from buying capacity on the line.  While Clean Line is telling the public that it is a merchant, or privately-financed, enterprise, Clean Line has asked federal regulators to approve broad socialization of merchant lines to those who do not consume the renewable electricity, claiming that new transmission lines create regional "reliability" benefits simply by existing.  If Clean Line and other "renewable" energy benefactors are successful in socializing the cost of their projects across entire regions, we're all going to be paying to transport renewable energy from coast to coast, whether we consume any of it or not.

4.  Bullying of landowners, consumers, citizens and government agencies by Clean Line personnel.  The prospect of a huge profit can make corporate lackeys do despicable things.  Compare this photo of Clean Line President Michael Smelly (in the cast - let's not even think about how that might have happened) "observing" the interaction between the public and federal environmental impact statement personnel during a public scoping meeting with these photos of PATH Transmission personnel "observing" the interaction between the public and federal environmental impact statement personnel during a public scoping meeting.  "Observation" easily degenerates into intimidation when things aren't going to the transmission line company's liking.  Don't be intimidated!

It's time for Texas-based, Wall Street-financed, Clean Line Energy Partners to quit denying its opposition, and come "clean" with the public.  Fact is, Clean Line is applying to states for the right to condemn right of way for its private, for-profit, project through eminent domain.  But, Clean Line hopes you rubes will be good sports and allow yourselves to be taken advantage of by its hired, professional land sharks, err, I mean "land agents," and sell your land early and cheaply.  Don't be foolish, always seek your own legal counsel before signing any agreements.  Your attorney will tell you that the longer you resist land sharks, oops, I mean "agents," the higher the price of your land climbs.  Land owners who resist eminent domain grabs receive, on average, 5 to 6 times the original offer by holding out and settling on the court house steps just before a hearing.

And while you're holding out, you might as well explore whether organized and intelligent opposition can halt the transmission project in its entirety.  Yes, it can.  We killed the PATH project.


Don't get me wrong, I like clean energy as much as the next guy.  However, I'm not expecting Midwest farmers and other electric consumers to sacrifice their land and their money to allow me the privilege of believing that I'm somehow helping the environment when I turn on my centrally generated "green" electricity.  Clean Line is nonsense.  If you want to help the environment, how about making your own personal sacrifice to supply your own, locally-generated renewable power, such as installing solar panels on your own roof?  It is not sustainable to destroy prime farmland to meet your own personal renewable goals. 

The east coast doesn't want or need Clean Line's overpriced "wind" power.  Just say no to Clean Line.

So, if you're asking yourself -- do we really need these "clean" lines for renewable energy (no!); is there other opposition to these projects that I can join (yes!); and can opposition cancel one of these projects (yes!!), you've come to the right place.

Get in touch with the folks at BlockRICL, or email us for more information.

What was it I said last week?  It's going to get worse, much worse?

Tammy "something extra" has now listed all but one of PATH's River's Edge properties in Loudoun County for sale.  Here's how much these deals will cost you, assuming PATH receives full list price for the properties (which is never going to happen).

PATH purchased this property in February 2009 for $689,000, 98% of Loudoun County's assessed fair market value at that time.  It's on sale today for only $630,000.

PATH purchased this property in April of 2009 for $418,000, 102% of Loudoun County's assessed fair market value at that time.  It's on sale today for only $400,000.

PATH purchased this property in April of 2009 for $910,000, 110% of Loudoun County's assessed fair market value at that time.  It's on sale today for only $735,900.

And the big, big loser is this property that PATH purchased in March 2009 for $1,175,000, 246% of Loudoun County's assessed fair market value at that time.  It's on sale today for only $459,000.

Looks like Loudoun County's assessor was a lot more accurate about fair market values than PATH's appraiser back in 2009.  But yet PATH expects ratepayers to pay the difference between purchase and sale price and make the company whole.  Right now, the difference between PATH's purchase prices in River's Edge and their current list prices amounts to $1,021,300.  That's over a million dollars that ratepayers stand to lose on PATH's unnecessary and premature "investment" in real estate, and there's still one PATH-owned River's Edge property that has yet to hit the market, for which PATH paid 123% of market value in 2009.  Ouchies, little ratepayers, ouchies!!!

Let's take a look back at PATH's antics in River's Edge.  Now PATH adds insult to injury of these homeowners and dumps a whole bunch of real estate in their neighborhood at bargain basement prices, which is going to have a significant effect on their own home value and equity.  PATH -- the gift that just keeps on giving.

And PATH is so not done yet... they've still got to unload those substation properties they purchased for millions more than fair market value.  Get out your wallet, little ratepayer...

PATH properties.... get yer PATH properties... in the market for some dirt-cheap but poorly maintained real estate, or maybe some completely useless land with a burned out trailer or falling down shack?  PATH's real estate agent can help you with that, and she "offers something extra!"  I can't imagine what that "something extra" might be, but I'm sorta frightened by the offer.

PATH went ahead and listed some of its property for sale, despite the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's November 30, 2012 Order that set the disposal of property for hearing:

"Because PATH has not completed the sale and transfers of land and other assets, we cannot determine based on the record whether self-dealing or cross-subsidization will occur as a result of these future transfers to  affiliates, and whether the proposed prices for sales to third parties are reasonable. As part of the hearing and settlement proceedings, we therefore direct parties to consider the reasonableness of such transfers and sales, including whether future transfers and sales of real property should be reported in periodic reports that identify the parties, date and price of each transaction. Parties in the hearing and settlement proceedings may also consider whether the formula rate should be modified to include such information, which would allow review of the asset sales and transfers under the  formula rate annual update process."

So, how "reasonable" are PATH's "fair market value" sale prices compared to "fair market value" amounts PATH spent purchasing each property?

PATH purchased this property for $50,000 in April of 2010.  It's on sale today for only $9,000!

PATH purchased this property for $64,000 in April of 2009.  It's on sale today for only $12,000!

PATH purchased this property for $307,185 in March of 2009.  It's on sale today for only $229,900!

Let's add up the difference between PATH's purchase price and PATH's sale price, because that is the amount PATH wants YOU to pay for its little unnecessary and overly generous property buying spree:  $170,285!  Even if PATH sells these properties at list, that's how much of a loss PATH expects ratepayers to absorb for just these three properties.  And it's going to get worse, much worse.

Bargain basement prices for unneeded properties - get yer worthless PATH properties today - and if you find out what Tammy's "something extra" is, do let us know.

See Bob Weatherwax's response to the West Virginia Attorney General's office regarding the "business opportunity" Ardent 360 "identified" in West Virginia.  Bob and Rob are now running for the state border as fast as their little legs can carry them and have "decided not to pursue the opportunity any further in West Virginia."

Notice how Bob chose those words very carefully?  Virginia and Maryland citizens are still fair game.  The West Virginia landowner who did the work here and filed the complaint has given you all a clear game plan to pursue in your individual states.  We need one landowner from Virginia and one from Maryland to file complaints with their Attorney Generals' offices.  Can we get some volunteers?

Only through citizen action will scammers like this be sent a clear message that affected landowners are not a "business opportunity" that can be further disenfranchised by opportunists like Weatherwax.  Isn't the threat that PATH is going to take your land and/or home enough without providing a "business opportunity" for a third-party parasite to line their own pockets with cash that should rightfully go to the landowner?

So, is this case over in West Virginia as the Attorney General's office suggests?  We'll see....

Once again the citizens take the lead in protecting the interests of landowners targeted by PATH's greedy scheme.  The conscientious landowner who shouldered the burden of taking the first step to protect thousands of affected landowners received this letter last week.  It is because of this landowner's efforts that it is now made easier for the rest of you.  If you received one of Ardent360's letters, or talked with them either over the phone or in person, please contact the Attorney General's office toll free at 1-800-368-8808 and let them know about your experience with this "company".

We know Ardent360 is not licensed to do business in at least two of the states that it is operating in and from information received by landowners it appears that they are scammers.  It is up to you to send a clear message to these guys and any others who think taking advantage of WV landowners affected by PATH is going to be their financial windfall.  It will only take a few minutes, and you can feel good about yourself that you have done a good thing.

I spoke with a couple of landowners regarding their concerns about Ardent360 at Dominion's Open House last week.  They tell me that Ardent360 is no longer answering their phone or returning calls to landowners.  Ut-oh, Bob & Rob!

I really hope PATH was telling the truth about not being involved in this scam, although I hear that when a landowner contacted them about it, they were less than helpful.  Thanks, PATH, you're a real pal.

We all owe a real debt of gratitude to the landowner who stepped forward and took swift action.