Wealthy Conservationist VS Solar Powered Electricity Transmission

Interesting story about a well known wealthy conservationist trying to stop the installation of transmission lines that would carry solar powered electricity to residents of southern Colorado.

Louis Bacon is defending his property "Trinchera Ranch" from public utilities Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association Inc. running transmission lines through it.

Louis Bacon, a 54 yr. billionaire hedge fund manager bought Trinchera Ranch from the Malcolm Forbes family in 2007 for $175 million. At the time it was the highest price paid for a single-family home in American history. The Forbes family permanently removed the development rights for the ranch in 2004.

Xcel Energy and Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association want to run transmission lines across the 171,400 acre ranch and have planned the lines for quite a while. The companies maintain that these lines have been approved and meet the clean-energy requirements for the state.

Bacon said in a Denver Post interview "Having helped many others in their fights against outside, profit-oriented polluters, I couldn't shirk this battle when I know there is so much at stake for the San Luis Valley residents, the range, the environment, the animals and for all of Colorado."

The utilities fight back saying the people of Colorado have made it clear that they want solar powered electricity for their state. Three local county commissions have also backed the transmission lines citing they'll provide reliable electricity that will promote economic development for the area.

Bacon takes this fight seriously enough to use some of his $1.6 billion and his "team" which consists of his own P.R. Firm and a stable of lawyers to fight in the state legislature. He has been successful in stalling the utilities companies plans beyond 2013. 

Bacon continues to fund state politicians hoping to get their continued backing against the transmission lines. He's even hired utility attorneys to design an alternative route outside Trinchera Ranch, which by the way is home to one of Colorado's highest peaks called Mount Blanca or Blanca Peak.

More interesting details can be read at The Denver Post.