Cape News

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has sent a follow-up letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, urging greater transparency regarding the Department of Energy's proposed designation of the National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC), which is expected to span Missouri.

“Constituents in my state have rightfully complained that the proposal lacks essential information needed to adequately provide comments on the plan,” wrote Senator Hawley.

“I have previously called on you to rescind this proposal. And that would be the right thing to do. But at the very least, to respond to serious concerns of constituents in my state, you should disclose the exact location of the proposed corridor, notify the affected landowners, and extend the comment period by at least another 45 days. Farmers and landowners should not live in fear that their land may be subject to a federal takeover,” he concluded.

Last week, Senator Hawley voted against a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission nominee who did not oppose federal eminent domain, a mandate which threatens government seizure of Missourians’ land.

Senator Hawley also sent a letter to Secretary Granholm and introduced new legislation last month aimed at protecting Missouri farmers from federal attempts to take over their land.

The full text of Senator Hawley's letter is as follows:

June 12, 2024

The Honorable Jennifer Granholm

Secretary

U.S. Department of Energy

1000 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, D.C. 20585

I write to you once again with concern about the Department of Energy’s proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) designation. The proposed corridor that spans my state is vague, leaving farmers and landowners in my state with unanswered questions. To allow landowners additional time to interpret the proposal, I urge you to extend the 45-day comment period that is currently expected to end on June 24, 2024.

As you know, on May 8, 2024, the Department of Energy released a list of 10 new proposed National Interest Electric Corridors spanning more than 3,500 miles across the country. The Midwest-Plains Potential NIETC runs from Kansas to Indiana, cutting across the entirety of Missouri. Alarmingly, guidance documents provided by the Department of Energy do not specify the exact area covered by the corridor. It only provides an image of the line across the state and explains that the proposed corridor is five miles wide. How are landowners expected to comment on the proposal if they don’t know if it will be on their land?

Constituents in my state have rightfully complained that the proposal lacks essential information needed to adequately provide comments on the plan. The maps provided are simply not specific enough. Landowners should be notified if the proposed route is going to touch their land. Instead, they are left to guess whether or not their land could be taken by the federal government. And they can only be sure that it is when it is finalized.

Further, the Midwest-Plains Potential Electric Corridor appears to span along much of Grain Belt Express and Tiger Connector paths—transmission lines farmers in my state have fought for years against eminent domain usage without adequate compensation or benefits for Missouri residents.

In 2022, Missouri passed legislation requiring a proportional amount of energy be dropped in-state and adequate compensation granted for eminent domain usage by these projects; however now an NIETC designation opens doors for potential federal intervention overriding local protections established under Missouri law.

I have previously called on you again asking rescission but minimally requesting addressing constituent concerns: disclosure exact locations intended notification impacted parties extending current feedback window additional forty-five days ensuring informed participation decision-making process ensuring those potentially affected heard considered fairly equally moving forward.

Sincerely,

Josh Hawley United States Senator