"It is a tale told by an idiot..."

Building into this week's Grain Belt Express fantasy are the off-base comments of potential new owner Invenergy.  The company was slow getting off the blocks, even though it probably had the inside skinny on the pending approval.  In the wake of the decision, there was a resounding silence from Invenergy, which created a media void that others stepped right into.  This shaped a news stream laced with healthy amounts of skepticism.  It just didn't work out that the PSC's press release adequately filled the void of silence from Invenergy.

When pressed for comment, Invenergy responded with a bunch of glittering generalities and inconsequential trifle, like this:

“Invenergy is grateful for the thoughtful and thorough consideration given to the Grain Belt Express transmission project by the Missouri Public Service Commission and we are pleased with the Order granting Grain Belt Express a Certificate of Convenience and Necessity,” Conley said Thursday.

Invenergy spokeswoman Beth Conley praised the PSC’s action and said Invenergy put the project on solid financial ground.

“The order confirms that the Grain Belt Express project is in the public interest and is good for Missouri,” Conley said. “Invenergy looks forward to the next step in the regulatory process before the PSC and to bringing low-cost power, quality jobs and new tax revenue to Missouri.”

“The Grain Belt Express is important because it is a transformative infrastructure project that will provide access to more low-cost renewable power to American consumers and communities,” Conley said.

“Today’s order confirms that the Grain Belt Express project is in the public interest and is good for the state, and a good project is made stronger by Invenergy’s participation and we’re excited for what this means,” Conley said.

"The Order confirms that the Grain Belt Express project is in the public interest and is good for Missouri. The Grain Belt Express project is made stronger through Invenergy’s participation because of our strong record of project execution, strong financial position, community partnerships, and landowner relationships," company spokeswoman Beth Conley said in a statement.

As Shakespeare's Macbeth said, "It is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing."

But what about Illinios, Invenergy?  You're not doing anything in Missouri without an approved route in Illinois, right?  I mean, what would be the point of building the project in Missouri if there wasn't a clear, connecting path through Illinois that enabled Invenergy to reach the PJM Pot 'O Gold?

The company is now focused on the separate regulatory matter of having its acquisition of the project approved in Missouri and Kansas, said Beth Conley, an Invenergy spokesperson.

Though Missouri had long been the only holdout among the four states on the project’s path, another hurdle arose last year in Illinois, which rescinded its approval on the technicality that Clean Line did not have a physical presence in the state and therefore could not qualify as a utility. Conley said there was still “no existing regulatory approval in Illinois” and “nothing pending,” as well.

Grain Belt Express also no longer has the OK to be built in Illinois after a state appeals court last year reversed the approval of the Illinois Commerce Commission. Conley said Thursday that “there is no pending regulatory case for the project in Illinois.”

Clean Line had been working on the proposed direct-current power line since 2010 and had said last year that it still hoped to bring the project online by 2023 or 2024.

Invenergy spokeswoman Beth Conley said that timeline has not been changed by the proposed sale of the project. The power line would be the largest transmission project undertaken by Invenergy.

2023?  Isn't that a little optimistic for a company that still needs regulatory approval in Illinois?  It took Clean Line's Rock Island project several years to get through permitting in Illinois, only to have its permit snatched away by the courts a couple years later.  And that's not counting the appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court, which added another couple years.  So we're talking 6 years, just for clear regulatory approval in Illinois, if things go swell (which they won't).  Even if Invenergy filed an application in Illinois today, it would be 2025 before it could possibly work its way through the Illinois system.  How long would the project take to build, once it had approvals?  2 to 3 years.  We're getting a lot closer to 2030 than we are to 2023.  Beth's timeline isn't realistic, nor even logical.  It sounds more like a costume for a farce, a scene in an improbable drama.  But it really tells the public nothing about what's about to happen next.

Instead, Invenergy wants the media to focus on other fairy tales, such as this:

Invenergy has experience building similar projects globally, and spokesperson Beth Conley said that background will help navigate challenges with residents.

“Invenergy has built more than 140 sustainable-energy projects around the world, and we’ve done that by really executing on our reputation as being a company that is committed to the communities that host our projects,” Conley said.

Conley, the Invenergy spokeswoman, said the company has established good relationships with landowners and community leaders in building its more than 146 worldwide projects and the company will bring “that same level of dedication” to stakeholders in the Grain Belt project.

Similar projects?  What's "similar" to a 780-mile merchant transmission line with eminent domain authority?  Not the short, private generation tie lines Invenergy builds through voluntary agreements with landowners.  Not gigantic wind farms and other generation plants that lease land from willing landowners.  Invenergy has ABSOLUTELY NO EXPERIENCE building and operating a merchant transmission line of this magnitude with negotiated rate authority using eminent domain.

Invenergy has no background using eminent domain to acquire land.  Negotiating voluntary agreements with absentee landowners who like the large cash royalties that come with wind leases is about as far as you can get from negotiating a transmission line easement under threat of eminent domain with a hostile landowner who sees no value in low, one-time payments or cheesy yearly pittance payments for a perpetually burdensome easement.  I'm afraid Invenergy's "experience" is of little use in this situation and could actually become detrimental if they become inebriated at the fountain of power fueled by eminent domain authority.

And as far as those landowner relationships Conley brags about?  I think there's more to be revealed by the way Invenergy is hated by numerous communities it has invaded.

Such as Rhode Island.

Wisconsin.

Minnesota.

Oklahoma.

Colorado.

Kansas.

Indiana.

New York.

Oklahoma, again.

California.

Pennsylvania.

South Dakota.

Iowa.

Need I go on?  In state after state, citizens oppose Invenergy projects planned for their communities.  The stories are chock full of accusations of public official bribery, lawsuits against local government, detrimental health effects, property devaluation, and pitting neighbor against neighbor which causes community upheaval. 

The real story is told by what is not said by Invenergy spokespersons.  I've got my

on you, Invenergy.