Meet the NextEra contributions committee

Lazaro Aleman
ECB Publishing, Inc.

A little more than two months ago, when local officials and NextEra representatives negotiated an agreement that avoided litigation over the high-voltage line that the energy company plans to run across the county, part of the deal entailed $3.3 million from the energy company in direct and service contributions to this community.
The agreement, in brief, called for NextEra to provide $215,000 for energy and conservation; $500,000 for parks and recreation; $500,000 for public works; and $2 million for emergency management.

A breakdown of the contributions showed a more detailed account of the monies to specific organizations and projects, including, in some instances, donations of equipment or services.

In exchange, the county repealed its then just adopted ordinance that sought to regulate transmission lines, which had put the local community in direct conflict with the power company and headed for litigation.

In the course of the final negotiations on the agreement between county officials and NextEra representatives on Monday, June 22, the local officials gained a last-minute concession of sorts, this being their ability to amend the list of those community groups and organizations that would be the recipients of NextEra's contributions.
On Thursday evening, August 6, the amendment was the reason for the appearance of Timothy Bryant, director of external affairs and new development for NextEra, at the Jefferson County Commission’s virtual meeting.

“We’re awaiting the community’s direction to set up the workshop to identify the projects for charity,” Bryant said, adding that otherwise his company was moving forward on the other parts of the agreement.

The workshop he was referring to was one that county commissioners had said at the June 22 meeting that they would be setting up in future to decide which new groups would be the recipients of a portion of the NextEra contributions.

The board apologized for the lapse in the selection of the new recipients, blaming the delay on the coronavirus pandemic. The commission  then got the ball rolling by naming a selection committee that includes Merry Ann Frisby, Planning Official Shannon Metty, Commissioner Stephen Walker and Chamber of Commerce Director Katrina Richardson.

Asked about the status of the high-voltage transmission line, Bryant responded that that the project was moving forward on track.
The only citizen to address the commission on the issue was Steve Trent, whose property on the Waukeenah Highway the transmission line will impact.
“Before we get too cozy with NextEra and praise them for being such good neighbors, let’s remember that they’re here to take my property,” Trent said. “Let’s not forget that some citizens are being damaged by NextEra.”

Trent was referring to NextEra’s acquisition of the right-of-way for the transmission line, which it is acquiring either by purchase or through taking by eminent domain.
Trent, for his part, vowed to fight the energy company vigorously when it came to his property.

“Let’s not get giddy,” he said. “We’re going to fight this all the way.”

Prior to the commission’s signing of the agreement with NextEra in June, the Jefferson County Commission was actively fighting the company’s plan to run the high-voltage line across its jurisdiction.

The main point of contention was the energy company’s decision to run the line south on the Waukeenah Highway, a two-lane highway that runs across rural land. County officials preferred that the line go south on U.S. 19, a state-owned and more commercial highway.

When NextEra refused to change the route, the commission hired Attorney David Collins to draft an ordinance that sought to regulate transmission lines at the local level for health and safety reasons, in effect challenging the state preemption of transmission lines.

It was the formulation and passage of the transmission line ordinance that brought NextEra to the negotiating table and resulted in the $3.3 million agreement.