The Rock Island Clean Line Wednesday officially applied with the state for pubic utility status, but local land owners in its path fear the company will get the power of eminent domain to take their property despite their wishes.

But Hans Detweiler, Clean Line Energy Partners director of development, says it is required to get public utility status to move forward with its project, not because it wants to forcefully take people's property.

Clean Line Energy Partners is planning to install its transmission line in Grundy County to deliver wind energy from areas of the Midwest to the east. The company is looking to bring its Rock Island Clean Line to deliver 3,500 megawatts of renewable energy to communities that do not have easy access to wind energy.