Wind Power Without Force
“A merchant transmission line with 13-16 story towers and an easement lane the width of a football field or more for 500 miles is what Rock Island Clean Lines wants to build.
The amount of land they want is equal to the land mass of Ames (200 feet times 500 miles) and every single mile is prime Midwest farmland.
RICL is adamant that we can still use the land. Except that we can’t build any structures anywhere near it or build a fence or plant trees. We can’t use it or cross the land while they are building or fixing the line. The easement can be sold or mortgaged at any time. We lose control of our property forever. Who is to say what the future uses of our property will be?
This land is the majority of our business investment and an outside party wants to use a loophole in our law to take our land and control it by the use of eminent domain. Imagine if this were your business or a section of your home that was being taken.”
Emmetsburg Democrat 12 June 2014.