Coalition for Rural Property Rights
Donation protected
MidAmerican and Invenergy are being sued by some of the residents of Palo Alto County. The suit is being backed by the Office of the Consumer Advocate because it is based on a point of law.
The outcome of this case will impact every project proposed or standing over 25 MW in the entire state of Iowa.
Utility projects over 25 megawatts are supposed to go through the Iowa Utilities Board process. All power plants and transmission lines do. 20 years ago the Iowa Utilities Board allowed an industrial wind installation to avoid regulations because it was just over 25 MW. Then they allowed a bigger one and a bigger one to skirt regulations. 20 years later we now have 340 MW projects that do not have to have proper public notification, proper informational meetings. They do not have to offer a formal objection process or allow the objectors to defend themselves with a formal hearing. They do not have to do environmental impact studies. They do not have to prove even that they are needed. The Office of the Consumer Advocate shows where the Turtle Creek Industrial wind Installation actually spent more money to avoid regulations and passed these costs on to rate payers.
Rural residents across Iowa are seeking ways to protect their homes, their families, their property values and their businesses from this regulatory capture. Most of the people who will live near or farm within these installations do not want them. If it weren’t for absentee landowners signing contracts and the lack of regulation none of these projects would stand a chance. By our numbers only about 6% -8% of the people who sign contracts will live next to those turbines.
Iowans have no right of recall, no right of referendum. Our Government, our Farm Bureau refuses to protect our families, our homes, our businesses, our land, our wildlife, our communities and our economy from the many negative impacts of industrial wind so we will protect ourselves.
We are raising money to fight this to the Supreme Court of Iowa. As of right now we are exhausting our administrative remedies.
The outcome of this case will impact every project proposed or standing over 25 MW in the entire state of Iowa.
Utility projects over 25 megawatts are supposed to go through the Iowa Utilities Board process. All power plants and transmission lines do. 20 years ago the Iowa Utilities Board allowed an industrial wind installation to avoid regulations because it was just over 25 MW. Then they allowed a bigger one and a bigger one to skirt regulations. 20 years later we now have 340 MW projects that do not have to have proper public notification, proper informational meetings. They do not have to offer a formal objection process or allow the objectors to defend themselves with a formal hearing. They do not have to do environmental impact studies. They do not have to prove even that they are needed. The Office of the Consumer Advocate shows where the Turtle Creek Industrial wind Installation actually spent more money to avoid regulations and passed these costs on to rate payers.
Rural residents across Iowa are seeking ways to protect their homes, their families, their property values and their businesses from this regulatory capture. Most of the people who will live near or farm within these installations do not want them. If it weren’t for absentee landowners signing contracts and the lack of regulation none of these projects would stand a chance. By our numbers only about 6% -8% of the people who sign contracts will live next to those turbines.
Iowans have no right of recall, no right of referendum. Our Government, our Farm Bureau refuses to protect our families, our homes, our businesses, our land, our wildlife, our communities and our economy from the many negative impacts of industrial wind so we will protect ourselves.
We are raising money to fight this to the Supreme Court of Iowa. As of right now we are exhausting our administrative remedies.
Organizer
Nan Swanson
Organizer
Ayrshire, IA
