Back in May of this year, the Linn County Commission approved a temporary moratorium on the 2-mile, 345 kilovolt transmission line needed to connect the solar farm to the grid near the La Cygne power plant. That moratorium prompted a lawsuit by Clearway Solar on behalf of the 4,000 acre Swan Energy Center project just south of Amsterdam, MO as construction to begin earlier in July.
According to the Linn County Journal newspaper, prior to filing the lawsuit, Clearway offered the county $850,000 to drop the temporary moratorium saying it is "discriminatory and that standard regulations do not require a local permit for the power lines."
Even while a permit to install the power lines in Linn County was not required, Clearway did apply for one, which was denied by the county.
As rumors persist that the county has rejected the $850k offer, Mid America Live spoke with the Linn County Clerk on Friday, who stated that during litigation not much can be revealed however said "no offer from Clearway has been accepted".
Mid America Live is currently reaching out to Clearway spokesperson Barry Matchett for comment and will provide an update in coming days.
Read more from the Linn County Journal here https://www.linncountyjournal.com/post/solar-company-offers-county-850k-to-drop-moratorium-on-overhead-power-lines
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