News

Power line could hurt production, drop land values, farmers say

By Bill Moss, Published: August 7, 2015

In an effort to avoid the most densely populated parts of Henderson County, Duke Energy has proposed transmission line routes that cross mostly rural areas. That means farmland, and farmers are raising concerns.
“It’s serious,” said Jerred Nix, a third generation apple grower who farms family-owned land on Bearwallow Mountain. “I’d rather have it in my yard than have it in my livelihood. It’s getting all agricultural land is all it’s doing. It’s getting serious for us as an industry. It’s something we’ve all got to be a part of.”
The farm community is among the factions that has organized to fight a proposed 40-mile transmission line from Upstate South Carolina to Asheville that Duke Energy says is needed to supply reliable power to the region for the future. Landowners, real estate agents, homeowners and the tourism industry are all raising concerns and asking questions. But farmers feel particularly vulnerable because they understand that Duke wants to choose a path that’s least populated. That means the giant towers could cross orchards and farm fields, potentially hurting farm production and, as important to farm families, lowering land values.
Mark Williams, executive director of the farm-business group Agriculture Henderson County (AgHC), organized a meeting Friday of farm leaders, N.C. Farm Bureau officials and others to try to get answers.
“We have a Duke member on our board (Craig DeBrew), and he keeps us informed as well and we’re talking to folks from Farm Bureau and trying to make sure we can protect our interest and our ability to continue production,” Williams said. “We’re checking with resources through the Farm Bureau to provide guidance and really to get information on what can and cannot be done within the right of way, particularly for agriculture production.”
Although Duke Energy says on its website that farmers can grow crops up to 12 feet, some farmers locally are hearing there are other limiting rules. The 12-foot limit might allow row crops but not apple trees. And farmers want to know what whether maintenance crews will spray weed killer under the right of way.
“What kind of impact is that going to have on the right of way or beside the right of way?” Williams said.
Williams had invited both Sen. Tom Apodaca and Rep. Chuck McGrady to the meeting. Apodaca does not expect to be able to break free from budget work in Raleigh, Williams said. McGrady, who is also involved in high-level budget talks, plans to attend, Williams said.
Farmers fear that if they push hard for their own sake, neighboring farms will suffer.
“So we try to be careful,” Williams said. “Anytime you start crossing developed property versus undeveloped property, the cost goes up. You look at it from a business light it’s probably the best thing you could do. If you look at it from the farm community, probably not.”
Almost as big as farm production in the near term is the farm community’s view of land and its long-term value.
“I think the bigger overriding factor particularly for the farm owner that people might not take into account is the farmers don’t tend to have 401(k)s,” Williams said. “Their retirement is tied up in their land.” Even if they can continue to farm, “What’s the impact on the value of their remaining property? The property value impact is really a bigger factor perhaps than the immediate impact.
“We can point very directly at some of the sales. I know at least a dozen sales that have fallen through because of the possibility of the line. Particularly on residential sites, contracts are being pulled back on because of the impending possibility of that line coming through.”

‘Don’t wish it on ourselves or others’

Jimmy Cowan, who represents farming interests as the fulltime Farm Bureau representative for Western North Carolina, said he is hearing concern on many levels.
“Farmers aren’t wanting to think about the idea of having to plow and work equipment around towers from now on,” said Cowan, who lives in Mills River. “Farmers are family people and they have concerns about living and working close to high-power transmission lines. We don’t wish it on ourselves but we don’t wish it on our neighbor either.”
“I know Duke is probably figuring out the very best plan they can and I think from the Farm Bureau point of view our policy is for the most minimal impact possible,” he said. Even if the transmission lines preserve farm production, Cowan, like Williams, worries about depreciated values.
“If you take the value it’s the same thing as wiping out the 401(k),” he said. “There’s nothing good can come out of it for Henderson County other than long term power.”

Steve Woodson, the Farm Bureau’s associate general counsel, plans to attend the AgHC meeting Friday in Hendersonville “more or less to listen.”
“I understand what farmer’s concerns are,” he said. “A lot of farmland would be taken or put under easement. Farmers are concern about loss of value and loss of production and what kind of crops they might be able to grow.”
Woodson said it makes sense that Duke would look first at more rural areas. But in doing so, the line may disproportionately harm farmers.
“Obviously they’re trying to avoid residential areas and trying to find relatively level land,” Woodson said. “It’s going to be impossible to avoid farmland altogether but we’re concerned about the amount of farmland that will be affected.”
Nix, the apple grower from Bearwallow, says the transmission line could cut the county’s $77 million agricultural output by a third.
“It’s not affected me,” he said. “But I’m not a component of me, I’m a component of agriculture.”

Mills River to meet with Duke rep

Mills River Mayor Larry Freeman said the town council is fielding a barrage of questions and hearing widespread opposition to the transmission line, which in some options would go through the farming community. Freeman tried to get DeBrew, the local Duke Energy manager, to appear before the council to answer questions.
“He’s going to hear us one on one,” Freeman said. “I also contacted the Utilities Commission in Raleigh to find out the process that this whole thing is going through. We’re thinking about putting up a special page on our website just to bring our property owners up to date on what’s happening.
“One of their proposed routes would goes right through the middle of my family’s property,” he added. “It goes over High Vista and goes through a nice subdivision that (council member) Wayne Carland built. All of Mills River will be impacted in a fairly sizable way.”
The North Carolina Utilities Commission has the ultimate say on the proposed transmission line and Duke Energy’s plans to convert its Lake Julian coal plant to a natural gas-fueled plant. The commission will hold at least one public hearing, likely in Henderson County, on Duke’s application for the line, said James McLawhorn, the electric division director of the Utilities Commission’s public staff, which represents the interest of consumers and ratepayers.
Although constituents are calling U.S. Rep. Mark Meadows, the congressman does not expect to get involve, said Wayne King, the his 11th District director.
“That is not a federal issue," King said. “We are referring all those calls to the N.C. Utilities Commission. We’ve had a handful of calls. That’s up to the utilities commission.”