By Lucky Kidd
GREAT BEND, Kan. — County Commissioners from Barton, Pawnee and Russell Counties voted Tuesday night to submit joint comments to the U.S. Department of Energy opposing their Midwest Plains National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor concept. This came during a joint meeting of the commissions at Barton Community College attended by about 100 people.
The letter said while they recognize this designation would “unlock valuable financial resources for project developers, they view as unacceptable any inclusion of federal eminent domain authority and overriding of state permitting decisions.
Among other things, the letter was sharply critical of the lack of transparency DOE used in the process, which as currently proposed would include a five-mile-wide corridor across the three counties, following a route already proposed by Grain Belt Express which Kansas regulators have already approved.
It also noted the long agricultural and oil heritage of the area, and the presence of Cheyenne Bottoms through which more than half of North America’s migratory waterfowl pass through along with Grain Belt’s parent company calling for a significant narrowing of the corridor.
The letter closed by recommending DOE consider the historic importance of generational farms, families residing on the land, how this would impact land values and future development, along with a negative environmental impact.
It also stated if it decided to proceed, they plan to schedule coordination meetings with DOE per federal law.