Seems like it took a while for this one to wind its way through court —-CJ’s Don Carrington reports a federal judge has ruled in Alcoa’s favor in the lengthy legal battle with the state over efforts to relicense hydroelectric dams on the Yadkin River:
The state argued that if boats could navigate that segment of the river before statehood, then the land under the river would have been categorized as state-owned property, and Alcoa could not claim a property right to that land.
Alcoa continues to assert that the deeds it has to property all along the contested area are valid. But the company’s attempt to renew its federal license to operate the dams would have become more complicated had the state prevailed. Alcoa has operated the dams since 1917 and its license expired in 2008. The company is operating dams under a temporary license. It began the relicensing process in 2002, but in 2008 state officials began throwing obstacles in Alcoa’s way, the most recent being the state’s claim in court that the river was navigable more than 200 years ago.
Democratic Govs. Mike Easley and Bev Perdue and Republican Gov. Pat McCrory each have opposed the relicensing. They wanted the state to take over the dams and operate the hydroelectric facilities.
CJ notes the interesting speculation from Rep. Justin Burr, R-Stanly, who posted on Twitter “(w)hat automaker would want to locate here when they see N.C.’s treatment of one of its global partners.”
Of course Burr is referring to Volvo, who decided to locate a plant in South Carolina in spite of all the positive vibes the Greensboro-Randolph megasite has sent —and will continue to send.
You can argue that Burr is stretching things a bit, but it’s still an issue worth pondering.
