Adams Cnty. Prop. Owners & Tenant Farmers v. Ill. Commerce Comm'n

36 N.E.3d 1019

ADAMS COUNTY PROPERTY OWNERS AND TENANT FARMERS, Petitioner

v.The ILLINOIS COMMERCE COMMISSION;

Donna Allen;

Central Stone Company;

Enbridge Pipelines (Illinois), L.L.C.;

Prairie Power, Inc.;

The City of Champaign;

Futuregen Industrial Alliance, Inc.;

IBEW Local 51;

Beth Bauer;

Nancy N. Madigan;

Barbara Bergschneider;

Joseph Bergschneider;

David G. Bockhold;

Theresa M. Bockhold;

Miso;

Wind on the Wires ;

Prairie Power, Inc.;

Gan Properties, LLC ;

Schuyler County Property Owners;

Niemann Foods, Inc.;

Michael T. Cody;

Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois ;

Anne Mae Copeland;

Pamela J. Copeland;

Richard T. Copeland, Jr.;

The Village of Savoy;

Ameren Services Company;

Erbon Doak;

Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.;

Barki/Adams County Property Owners;

The Village of Sidney;

Lynda McLaughlin;

The Nature Conservancy;

Kohl Wholesale;

Illinois Agricultural Association;

The Village of Mt. Zion;

IBEW Local 702 ;

Michael Hutchinson ;

Pamela P. Irwin;

Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.;

Morgan County Property Owners;

Clean Line Energy Partners, LLC;

Western Morgan County Property Owners;

Dynegy, Inc.;

Michael E. Lockwood;

Illinois Laborers and Contractors Training Trust Fund ;

Thomas McLaughlin;

Wiese Farms;

Edna Keplinger Trust;

Peggy Mills ;

Rural Clark and Edgar County Concerned Citizens;

The Village of Pawnee;

Matt Holtmeyer Construction, Inc. ;

Shelby County Landowners Group;

Gregory A. Pearce;

Theresa Pearce ;

James Phillips;

Tori Phillips;

Barbara Ragheb;

Magdi Ragheb;

Brian Ralston;

Sherry L. Ralston;

Justin Ramey;

Ann Raynolds ;

Moultrie County Property Owners;

Janey Roney;

Deborah D. Rooney;

Donna Ruholl;

Steve Ruholl;

RCECCC;

Clark County Preservation Committee;

JDL Broadcasting, Inc.;

Laura Te Grotenhuis;

Piatt, Douglas, Moultrie, and Christian County Property Owners;

and Mark Lash, Respondents.

Edgar County Citizens, Petitioner

v.The Illinois Commerce Commission;

Donna Allen;

Central Stone Company;

Enbridge Pipelines (Illinois), L.L.C.;

Prairie Power, Inc.;

The City of Champaign;

Futuregen Industrial Alliance, Inc.;

IBEW Local 51;

Beth Bauer;

Nancy N. Madigan;

Barbara Bergschneider;

Joseph Bergschneider;

David G. Bockhold;

Theresa M. Bockhold;

Miso;

Wind on the Wires ;

Prairie Power, Inc.;

Gan Properties, LLC ;

Schuyler County Property Owners;

Niemann Foods, Inc.;

Michael T. Cody;

Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois ;

Anne Mae Copeland;

Pamela J. Copeland;

Richard T. Copeland, Jr.;

The Village of Savoy;

Ameren Services Company;

Erbon Doak;

Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.;

Barki/Adams County Property Owners;

The Village of Sidney;

Lynda McLaughlin;

The Nature Conservancy;

Kohl Wholesale;

Illinois Agricultural Association;

The Village of Mt. Zion;

IBEW Local 702 ;

Michael Hutchinson ;

Pamela P. Irwin;

Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.;

Morgan County Property Owners;

Clean Line Energy Partners, LLC;

Western Morgan County Property Owners;

Dynegy, Inc.;

Michael E. Lockwood;

Illinois Laborers and Contractors Training Trust Fund ;

Thomas McLaughlin;

Wiese Farms;

Edna Keplinger Trust;

Peggy Mills ;

Rural Clark and Edgar County Concerned Citizens;

The Village of Pawnee;

Matt Holtmeyer Construction, Inc. ;

Shelby County Landowners Group;

Gregory A. Pearce;

Theresa Pearce ;

James Phillips;

Tori Phillips;

Barbara Ragheb;

Magdi Ragheb;

Brian Ralston;

Sherry L. Ralston;

Justin Ramey;

Ann Raynolds ;

Moultrie County Property Owners;

Janey Roney;

Deborah D. Rooney;

Donna Ruholl;

Steve Ruholl;

RCECCC;

Clark County Preservation Committee;

JDL Broadcasting, Inc.;

Laura Te Grotenhuis;

Piatt, Douglas, Moultrie, and Christian County Property Owners;

and Mark Lash, Respondents.

Morgan, Sangamon, and Scott Counties Land Preservation Group, Petitioner

v.The Illinois Commerce Commission;

Donna Allen;

Central Stone Company;

Enbridge Pipelines (Illinois), L.L.C.;

Prairie Power, Inc.;

The City of Champaign;

Futuregen Industrial Alliance, Inc.;

IBEW Local 51;

Beth Bauer;

Nancy N. Madigan;

Barbara Bergschneider;

Joseph Bergschneider;

David G. Bockhold;

Theresa M. Bockhold;

Miso;

Wind on the Wires ;

Gan Properties, LLC ;

Schuyler County Property Owners;

Niemann Foods, Inc.;

Michael T. Cody;

Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois ;

Anne Mae Copeland;

Pamela J. Copeland;

Richard T. Copeland, Jr.;

The Village of Savoy;

Ameren Services Company;

Erbon Doak;

Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.;

Barki/Adams County Property Owners;

The Village of Sidney;

Lynda McLaughlin;

The Nature Conservancy;

Kohl Wholesale;

Illinois Agricultural Association;

The Village of Mt. Zion;

IBEW Local 702 ;

Michael Hutchinson ;

Pamela P. Irwin;

Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.;

Morgan County Property Owners;

Clean Line Energy Partners, LLC;

Western Morgan County Property Owners;

Dynegy, Inc.;

Michael E. Lockwood;

Illinois Laborers and Contractors Training Trust Fund ;

Thomas McLaughlin;

Wiese Farms;

Edna Keplinger Trust;

Peggy Mills ;

Rural Clark and Edgar County Concerned Citizens;

The Village of Pawnee;

Matt Holtmeyer Construction, Inc. ;

Shelby County Landowners Group;

Gregory A. Pearce;

Theresa Pearce ;

James Phillips;

Tori Phillips;

Barbara Ragheb;

Magdi Ragheb;

Brian Ralston;

Sherry L. Ralston;

Justin Ramey;

Ann Raynolds ;

Moultrie County Property Owners;

Janey Roney;

Deborah D. Rooney;

Donna Ruholl;

Steve Ruholl;

RCECCC;

Clark County Preservation Committee;

JDL Broadcasting, Inc.;

Laura Te Grotenhuis;

Piatt, Douglas, Moultrie, and Christian County Property Owners;

Mark Lash;

Dean L. McWard;

Donald C. McWard;

Shirley McWard;

Edward Corley Trust;

and Eric Sprague, and Laura Sprague, Respondents.

Macon County Property Owners, Petitioner

v.The Illinois Commerce Commission;

Donna Allen;

Central Stone Company;

Enbridge Pipelines (Illinois), L.L.C.;

Prairie Power, Inc.;

The City of Champaign;

Futuregen Industrial Alliance, Inc.;

IBEW Local 51;

Beth Bauer;

Nancy N. Madigan;

Barbara Bergschneider;

Joseph Bergschneider;

David G. Bockhold;

Theresa M. Bockhold;

Miso;

Wind on the Wires ;

Gan Properties, LLC ;

Schuyler County Property Owners;

Niemann Foods, Inc.;

Michael T. Cody;

Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois ;

Anne Mae Copeland;

Pamela J. Copeland;

Richard T. Copeland, Jr.;

The Village of Savoy;

Ameren Services Company;

Erbon Doak;

Midwest Independent Transmission System Operator, Inc.;

Barki/Adams County Property Owners;

The Village of Sidney;

Lynda McLaughlin;

The Nature Conservancy;

Kohl Wholesale;

Illinois Agricultural Association;

The Village of Mt. Zion;

IBEW Local 702 ;

Michael Hutchinson ;

Pamela P. Irwin;

Enbridge Energy Company, Inc.;

Morgan County Property Owners;

Clean Line Energy Partners, LLC;

Western Morgan County Property Owners;

Dynegy, Inc.;

Michael E. Lockwood;

Illinois Laborers and Contractors Training Trust Fund ;

Thomas McLaughlin;

Wiese Farms;

Edna Keplinger Trust;

Peggy Mills ;

Rural Clark and Edgar County Concerned Citizens;

The Village of Pawnee;

Matt Holtmeyer Construction, Inc. ;

Shelby County Landowners Group;

Gregory A. Pearce;

Theresa Pearce ;

James Phillips;

Tori Phillips;

Barbara Ragheb;

Magdi Ragheb;

Brian Ralston;

Sherry L. Ralston;

Justin Ramey;

Ann Raynolds ;

Moultrie County Property Owners;

Janey Roney;

Deborah D. Rooney;

Donna Ruholl;

Steve Ruholl;

RCECCC;

Clark County Preservation Committee;

JDL Broadcasting, Inc.;

Laura Te Grotenhuis;

Piatt, Douglas, Moultrie, and Christian County Property Owners;

Mark Lash;

Dean L. McWard;

Donald C. McWard;

Shirley McWard;

Edward Corley Trust;

and Eric Sprague, and Laura Sprague, Respondents.

Nos. 4–13–0907

4–14–0249

4–13–0917

4–14–0218.

Appellate Court of Illinois, Fourth District.

Filed July 20, 2015.

Rehearing Denied Aug. 21, 2015.

Brian R. Kalb (argued), of Byron Carlson Petri & Kalb, LLC, Edwardsville, for petitioner Adams County Property Owners and Tenant Farmers.

S. Craig Smith and Drew P. Griffin (argued), both of Asher & Smith, Paris, for petitioner Edgar County Citizens.

Edward D. McNamara, Jr. (argued), of McNamara & Evans, Springfield, for petitioner Morgan, Sangamon, and Scott Counties Land Preservation Group.

Timothy J. Rigby (argued), of Hart, Southworth & Witsman, Springfield, for petitioner Macon County Property Owners.

Kelly Turner, of Office of General Counsel, and James E. Weging, John P. Kelliher, and Matthew L. Harvey (argued), Special Assistant Attorneys General, both of Chicago, and James V. Olivero, of Office of General Counsel, Springfield, for respondent Illinois Commerce Commission.

Hanna M. Conger, Albert D. Sturtevant (argued), Christopher W. Flynn, Rebecca L. Segal, and Anne M. Zehr, all of Whitt Sturtevant LLP, Chicago, Shannon K. Rust, Mark A. Whitt, and Andrew J. Campbell, all of Whitt Sturtevant LLP, Columbus, OH, and Edward C. Fitzhenry, Managing Associate General Counsel, St. Louis, MO, for respondent Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois.

Adam T. Margolin, Christopher N. Skey, and Christopher J. Townsend, all of Quarles & Brady LLP, Chicago, for respondent Nature Conservancy.

William F. Moran III (argued), of Stratton, Giganti, Stone, Moran & Radkey, Springfield, for respondent Rural Clark and Edgar County Concerned Citizens.

Edward R. Gower, of Hinshaw & Culbertson, LLP, Springfield, for respondent Peggy Mills.

OPINION

Justice HARRIS delivered the judgment of the court, with opinion.

¶ 1 These four consolidated appeals involve requests for direct administrative review of an order of the Illinois Commerce Commission (Commission), which authorized Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois (ATXI) to construct a high voltage transmission line and related facilities across several Illinois counties and designated routes and locations for the new construction. Petitioners—Adams County Property Owners (ACPO); Edgar County Citizens are Entitled to Due Process (ECCDP); Morgan, Sangamon, and Scott Counties Land Preservation Group (MSSCLPG); and Macon County Property Owners (MCPO)—are four groups of individuals and entities that own property affected by the Commission's order. ACPO, MSSCLPG, and MCPO intervened...