Could Tucson become the next New London?

Buy Tin Foil Stock NOW because here comes a new conspiracy theory…

 

I’m going to say this up front- I don’t see this as a genuine possibility, but the recent antics of various government entities does give me pause…

 

Just something to think about.

 

I’ll be referencing a Supreme Court case where the City of New London CT made an eminent domain land seizure from private citizens who owned the properties, the link is here:

https://www.oyez.org/cases/2004/04-108

 

The question of the case:

“Does a city violate the Fifth Amendment's takings clause if the city takes private property and sells it for private development, with the hopes the development will help the city's bad economy?”

 

 The answer (paraphrased): Because there was an ‘economic plan’ that the city was following, the Supreme Court ruled that taking the private land property from citizens with the intent to sell it to private developers qualified as ‘public use’ despite the fact that the land was not going to be used by the public.

 

My comments-

Essentially a private developer drew up a plan to create new office buildings and promised the City of New London that the resulting development would raise property values, create jobs, and raise the tax base.

 

Home and property owners had no say, as far as I see it… I mean they went all the way to the US Supreme Court to fight it- and lost.

 

If the City of New London got away with taking the land of their citizen residents to sell to a private company in the name of ‘public use’, what can happen here if TEP decides the rooftops all across Tucson are excellent locations for their next solar installations?

 

I know it is a stretch, but TEP is building solar installations and selling the power those installations create- but those are on land(s) that can be hard to get or expensive.

 

What if they turn their eye to the rooftops? Sure, one or two early court cases might slow them down, but… all they have to do is win the first one and the precedent is set- then they can install solar all across the city and NOT have to deal with procuring land.

 

One or two court battles that go to the Arizona Supreme Court who will look at the above US Supreme Court case in New London CT and probably rule that the intent of the roof-top grab is rooted in ‘public use’.

 

How's THAT for a conspiracy theory! If you might think this is just exactly that (a conspiracy theory), I encourage you to go to this article recently released in the Arizona Daily Star and pay particular attention to the section about solar...

 

https://tucson.com/news/local/climate-action-plan-envisions-transforming-tucsons-way-of-life/article_b1e9a000-bde4-11ed-b521-9f4fcbdb6c59.html

 

I’d like the credit but didn’t come up with this theory but the more I think about it the more I think it is yet another reason for Tucson homeowners to hurry up and get solar installed on their homes.

 

If you’re looking to get solar on your Tucson home, I am gearing up to release my new book “Tucson Solar Insider Desk Guide for Buying Solar”. If that sounds interesting, click here to get on the notification list for when it is released.

 

Be Good!

Curtis