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Increasing Landowner Buy-In For Transmission Siting

MCLI Recommendation: “As an alternative to use of eminent domain procedures for land assembly for transmission projects, states should consider authorizing the use of special purpose development districts or land assembly districts to increase landowner participation in land assembly decisions.”

LPDD Recommendation: “States, project developers, or even landowners could create transmission corridor districts to increase landowner buy-in for transmission projects.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Transmission line companies could consider offering landowners annual payments instead of a one-time easement payment to reduce community opposition to electric transmission lines.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Transmission line companies should hold community meetings early and often, partner with environmental groups, create local construction partners, and provide direct tax benefits to local communities as well as voluntary payments to the communities on a per-mile basis to reduce opposition to transmission lines.”

LPDD Recommendation: “Transmission line operators could enter into ‘community benefit agreements’ with affected communities that involve payments by the developer to the community.”

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6 resources

Resource Public Utilities

Giving Landowners the Power: A Democratic Approach for Assembling Transmission Corridors

Gerstle’s 2014 article, Giving Landowners the Power: A Democratic Approach for Assembling Transmission Corridors, provides several innovative land-assembly alternatives to the traditional eminent doma...

Resource Executive Branch

Eminent Domain, Inc.

Lehavi and Licht’s 2007 Columbia Law Review article, proposes a novel replacement for eminent domain, the Special-Purpose Development Corporation (SPDC), which would acquire unified ownership of the l...

Resource Public Utilities

Lincoln Institute of Land Policy report, Getting Right-of-Way Right

The Lincoln Institute of Land Policy’s 2013 paper, Getting Right-of-Way Right: Landowner Compensation for Electric Power Transmission Rights of Way, reviewed alternate compensation methods for landown...

Example States and State Governments

Maine’s Community Benefit Agreements definition

Maine defines Community Benefit Agreements (at Maine Rev. Stat. 35-A § 3451(1-B)) between wind developers and host communities, noting they may involve payments by the developer to the host community ...

Example States and State Governments

Minnesota’s “buy the farm” statute

Minnesota is the only state in the union with a “buy the farm” statute (1977 Minn. Stat. § 216E.12 Sub. 4), which allows eligible landowners to select to have the utility purchase the entire property ...

Resource Public Utilities

Center for Rural Affairs reports

In a 2014 report, Landowner Compensation in Transmission Siting for Renewable Energy Facilities, the Center for Rural Affairs considered ways to avoid the need to use eminent domain, including special...