The Center for Rural Affairs recently released a statement and official communications with the federal Department of Energy, urging them and the energy sector to address community concerns and landowner opposition to renewable energy transmission projects.
“Engagement is most effective at a local, grassroots level,” said Johnathan Hladik, Senior Advocate for Energy Policy at the Center for Rural Affairs.
He continued, “And we’re supporters of the idea that change can be made through the institutional processes now in place.”
According to Hladik, over the past three years almost a dozen transmission opposition groups have organized across the Midwest and Great Plains. This deserves attention because public opposition, environmental concerns, and bureaucratic inefficiency have frequently combined to forestall needed infrastructure investment.
“When asking how renewable energy providers can avoid conflicts that delay projects, the answer needs to emphasize engaging stakeholders and addressing community concerns,” he said.
A recent Center for Rural Affairs report drew from media sources collected over the past 24 months, including almost every news article written that concerned projects the organization was following. Center staff analyzed the media reports to better understand community concerns and landowner opposition.
After breaking down more than 100 media reports, most concerns could be grouped into six categories: Agriculture, conservation, eminent domain, health, need, and transparency. Based upon this data, recommendations for best practices were developed.
“What did we find out? That at a minimum, each utility or transmission developer should engage landowners early and often,” Hladik said. “Meeting with landowners before a route is submitted allows affected parties to point out problematic areas and suggest a new approach. And open communication before a route is approved can help mitigate concerns and solidify the role of the landowner as a participant.”
Recently, Hladik submitted comments urging the federal Department of Energy to consider greater community engagement in transmission and energy development at the Department’s Quadrennial Energy Review meeting in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Go online to view his submitted written remarks.
Written by the Center for Rural Affairs, special to the Express. Established in 1973, the Center for Rural Affairs is a private, non-profit organization working to strengthen small businesses, family farms and ranches, and rural communities through action oriented programs addressing social, economic, and environmental issues.
