Rep. Kinzinger,

I am writting you this letter from the seat of my tractor during corn harvest.  This is not a big farm.   There are only 250 acres.  Heck, I make beer bottles for a living, but this ROCK ISLAND CLEAN LINE issue still troubles me greatly. 

Inspite what you might think, this is a national issue.  Can you tell me how many pieces of legislation in the past ten years  have been written pertaining to wind and tranmission lines?   This is not a small energy issue, but rather  a very large part of the wind energy issues.

Sir, are you aware of opposition in West Virgina to the PATH powerline?

Are you aware of the opposition in Texas to the CREZ powerline project for the windmills?

Are you aware of the opposition to the powerlines in Wisonsin.

Are you aware that the governors pf New England do not want this overpriced electricity provided by RICL?

Are you familiar with the CU HVDC powerline in Minnesota and how opposition to that powerline launched Senator Paul Wellstone's political career?  He wrote a book about it,  POWERLINE THE FIRST BATTLE IN AMERICA'S ENERGY WAR.
Make no mistake, RICL is the next battle in this national energy war.

30 years ago the CU HVDC powerline was built to send coal powered electricity from North Dakota to Minneapolis.   Today America has a President who brags about bankrupting the coal industry and America exports its coal to China!   Yes, this nation exports its coal to China.   America is litered with literal aerial sewers of powerlines from misguided national energy policies.  RICL is a national issue.

Shall I explain negative pricing and how it affects other energy producers?

Shall I explain how much federal subsidies and "grants" are making the profits for windmills bloated?

Shall explain how according to the America Wind Energy Association in 2010 11,000 megawatts of new windmills were installed but in the nation but wind energy capacity only grew by 5,000 megawatts.    Subsidies aren't paid on old windmills, only new ones.   Wind energy companies run these things in the groubd to build new ones and get new federal subsidies.

Sir, are you aware who owns RICL?  Rock Island Clean Line is a subsidiary of Rock Island Wind which is a subsidiary of Clean Line Energy.   This company produces nothing.   They supposedly own nothing, not a single telephone pole. 

Are you aware the investors of this company used to be in the windmill business.  They supposedly sold Horizon Wind Energy to Goldman Sach.   Why would Goldman Sachs want to own a windmill company?  They supposedly sold it to EDP Renewables.  Why does the upper management of Clean Line Energy still have ties to this company?    Clean Line Energy managment will not say they don't intend to get back into the wind energy business.  

The only real assets this company owns is held by another company.   Rock Island Clean Line is nothing more than a shell company owned by a shell company owned by a shell company.  Has this nation learned nothing from Enron?
Sir, RICL is clearly a national issue.  This is wrong for America.   Men like Mike Skelly. Jimmy Glotfelty, and Hans Detweiler of Clean Line Energy brought this coming battle to my farm.   There is going to be no middle ground in this coming battle.  Sir, you will either be fore RICL or against RICL.  I need your help.   The residents of Illinois need your help.   I will fight RICL with you or without your help.   It would be much better to have your help. 

This has nothing to do with NIMBY.  I will still be opposed to RICL if it should not come through my farm.   In my life there have been 3 pipelines and one powerline come through our family's small farm.  No one in my family ever raised an objection to these right of ways.   Last year Ameren even installed a high voltage powerline in our pasture behind my house.  Our family has never objected to such right of ways, but this powerline is wrong for America.

By contrast, the former State Senator Todd Sieben of Geneseo, who is now a spokesman from Rock Island Clean Line, has oppoes the city of Geneseo placing one windmill near his home.  It's ironic that the spokeman for the powerline of wind turbines fights to have one placed near his home, but still thinks farmers in northern Illinois should not object to this transmission line for any reason or logic.

Just yesterday, I found a letter online from Clean Line Energy to the Department of Energy asking for assistance with the laborous task of working with so many different state agencies.   RICL would rather work with Washington rather than Springfield and DesMoines.   Who will support me if that were to happen?

Sir, RICL is a natinal issue.  If you won't represent us, then who will?  Can you at least put me in contact with someone at FERC who can assist me?   I will fight this battle alone, but would much rather have an ally in Washington.
 

Thank you,

Scott Thorsen