Dive Brief:
- Several Iowa lawmakers plan to sponsor a bill that would make it harder for power line developers to use eminent domain to site their projects.
- The state lawmakers are targeting the $2 billion Rock Island transmission project being developed by Clean Line Energy Partners. The project would deliver about 3,500 MW of wind generation from northwestern Iowa to markets in the East.
Dive Insight:
“The project itself may have some merit, but the developers need to work with landowners to purchase easements voluntarily, rather than using government-backed force to simply take the land rights they want,” Iowa Rep. Walt Rogers said.
Transmission developers face a host of challenges in getting their projects built. It looks like we may be adding one more to the list for Iowa.