Landowners group, ComEd and Illinois Farm Bureau file appeal to RICL decision

Nearly three months after a plan to build a direct current transmission line from Iowa to Grundy County received approval from Illinois Commerce Commission, several groups are fighting the decision in court.

The Illinois Landowners Alliance, Illinois Farm Bureau, and ComEd Tuesday filed an appeal of the ICC decision giving a certificate of public convenience and necessity to Rock Island Clean Line. The project wasn’t given the power of eminent domain.

The appeal was filed in the Third District Appellate Court in Ottawa.

Laura Harmon is the Senior Council for the Illinois Farm Bureau. She says the farm bureau doesn’t believe Clean Line Energy should be able to take farmland out of production for transmission lines that aren’t needed.