Respect property rights, alter line route

Rock Island Clean Line wants to run transmission lines across the state and through the middle of our farm. They would deliver good clean energy, but there has to be some other way to get this energy out of the state without tromping on other people's rights and property.

This would only set a bad precedent by letting a private company on your ground just to line its pockets. Why can't they take these lines down public highways and right-of-ways? We bought our land and took care of it every day. We do not want it ruined with power lines running through it. We do not want to get up every morning and see these big electric transmission lines running through our property.

If Clean Line doesn't think this would damage our land, it needs to go west of Central City and see the mess they left in the fields after new power lines were put along there. Interstate 80 goes to Chicago. Why not follow that?

We are not against clean energy, but they need to stay off private property to get it done.

Don and Carol Hatch

Center Point