The Department of Energy cancelled three projects
Members of the U.S. ag community support a recent Department of Energy (DOE) decision to cancel three proposed National Interest Electric Transmission Corridors (NIETC).
The DOE announced on Aug. 12 the cancellation of the Lake Erie-Canada Corridor, the Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, and the Tribal Energy Access Corridor.
These projects were part of the Biden Administration and promoted to reduce costs for Americans.
But further reviews of the project materials showed that isn’t the case.
“Extensive review, including public feedback and stakeholder input, made clear that the current designation process for these three proposed transmission corridors should not continue,” Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in a statement. “Transmission policy must serve the American people—not special interests or a climate-alarmist agenda that drives up costs, worsens reliability, and disregards the concerns of local communities. The Trump Administration is committed to strengthening America’s electric grid with common-sense policies that prioritize delivering affordable, reliable, and secure electricity to American families and businesses.”
Industry groups like R-CALF support the DOE’s decision.
The Southwestern Grid Connector Corridor, for example, would’ve affected almost 2 million acres of farmland in New Mexico and another 300,000 acres in Colorado.
Cancelling this project means the land remains in production, and in the hands of farmers.
“This decision helps protect landowners from future corporate overreach, abuse of eminent domain and unnecessary federal bureaucracy. We can strengthen our energy system without sacrificing the rights of the farmers and ranchers whose land may stand in its path,” R-CALF’s property rights chair Chad Sullivan said in a statement.
Clare Dunn, a country musician who grew up on her family’s farm in Colorado, also applauded the DOE’s cancellation.
“Thank you guys for doing the right thing,” she said in a social media post. “There’s still more work ahead.”