Your Opinion: High-voltage project delivers

Dear Editor:

Recently I attended a Public Service Commission (PSC) hearing in Marceline regarding granting Clean Line Energy Partners a certificate of convenience and necessity.

Clean Line Energy Partners plans to construct a high DC voltage (600kV) line across northern Missouri called Grain Belt Express designed to transmit billions of watts of clean wind power a total distance of approximately 750 miles from western Kansas where the wind power is located to the Indiana/Illinois border. The Grain Belt Express has the potential of delivering 500 million watts of wind energy to Missouri powering the equivalent of over 200,000 homes.

The company needs recognition as a utility and the corresponding legal rights bestowed in order to maintain the power lines once they are in operation and to prevent a single property owner from derailing the entire project. High voltage DC transmission lines have been delivering power from large hydro-power dams in the U.S. since 1977. The towers have a tiny footprint and will follow existing utility easements wherever possible. Despite misinformation that has been circulated, there is no known health risk to the static magnetic field produced around high voltage DC transmission lines.

Addition of low cost wind energy to the portfolio of Mid America Energy in Iowa was responsible for a recent drop in utility rates. This energy is affordable, cleaner and safer than coal. Wind power increases our energy security as it is not subject to increasing cost due to carbon dioxide regulation. Say yes to the Grain Belt Express.