Uwharrie Regional Resources Commisson

I hadn’t planned on writing again on this topic this soon, but it‘s raised its ugly head again in the news. The Raleigh News & Observer today published an article: Public agency considered for Yadkin hydropower . This is, if not the same, a variation on the Yadkin River Trust which the state legislature defeated in mid-2010, 66 - 39. Keith Crisco, of all people, said it conjures “an image of big, bad state government taking over.” But then, he goes on to say it’d be okay if the public agency were centered in the six counties near the Yadkin Project.

The entire article is a bit vague on who the State and civic leaders behind this are, or what the public agency is. But, the description seems to fit the Uwharrie Regional Resources Commission (URRC), which someone in the state legislature hastily created after it became apparent that the Yadkin River Trust legislation could not pass, behind closed doors in Raleigh, with no public comment. The enabling legislation for the URRC sounds inocuous, does not mention Alcoa, and appears to be something entirely different than an agency to control the Yadkin Project. Yet, there’s been suspicion. The appointments to the Commission have been stacked with obvious proponents of a state takeover. There is nothing about the URRC that does not smack of big bad government. The entire thing was crammed down the public’s throat.