County now officially neutral on Rock Island Clean Line project

The Franklin County Board of Supervisors rescinded a resolution at their meeting Monday that had unintentionally put the county’s stamp of approval on the controversial Rock Island Clean Line (RICL) energy project.

     Two years ago, the supervisors passed a resolution granting RICL permission to make their proposals to Franklin County landowners regarding the project. RICL officials are currently trying to get the large-scale energy investment OK’d by Iowa Utilities Board, which would erect 375 miles of high-voltage power lines from northwest Iowa to the Illinois border. The line would cut through 16 Iowa counties, including Franklin County, and would need to use farmland during construction.

     The supervisors had learned that RICL officials had taken their resolution to the utilities board, which raised a few alarms.

Read the full article in the May 14 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.