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In business energy critics question legality of plan searchlight wind farm approved underwater, From page 7 in their homes,��� he said. But Mortgage Resolution���s plan ���is all very speculative because there���s still a lot to learn as far as its usefulness for our particular situation.��� Council members declined to approve an agreement with the company at their March 6 meeting. But the council did leave the door open for a future deal and asked that representatives come back within the month to continue the discussion and answer more questions. ���I need to know what the consequences really are,��� Mayor Shari Buck said. ���We���ve got more information to gather. I don���t want to get through the process and find out ���Oops, we didn���t expect that.��������� Buck said she plans to talk to other interested parties ��� including real estate professionals and local chambers of commerce ��� as well as officials from other cities who have considered working with Mortgage Resolution Partners. The plan drew mixed response By Conor Shine���staff writer A major renewable energy project for 87 wind turbines on federal land near Searchlight received government approval this month. The wind farm would cover about 160 acres of a 19,000-acre piece of Bureau of Land Management property west of Searchlight and would generate 200 megawatts of energy, enough to power about 70,000 homes, according to the BLM. The project is being built by North Carolina-based Duke Energy through its subsidiary Searchlight Wind Energy, LLC. According to a BLM fact sheet, the project will create 275 temporary construction jobs and 15 permanent positions, generating $18.6 million in local sales and property tax revenue over the life of the project. ���Nevada is fortunate that its sunny skies, strong winds, and geothermal resources provide us an opportunity to brighten our economic future and transform the Silver State into the vibrant core of a Western and national clean energy market,��� Searchlight native Sen. Harry Reid said in a statement. * from the public. Several local unions sent letters supporting efforts to help homeowners, and a representative from Culinary Union Local 226 voiced his approval to the council during the meeting. But Sean Fellows, government affairs director for the Greater Las Vegas Association of Realtors, told council members that using eminent domain to seize mortgages could have negative consequences. Fellows called the plan ���an extremely poor policy solution��� that could conflict with constitutional rights and consumer protection laws. ���This could make it much more difficult for people in our community, not just the ones taking part in the program, to obtain mortgages or even try to refinance an existing mortgage,��� Fellows said. The company eventually hopes to involve other local governments in Clark County too. It says the valley has about 40,000 underwater homes. County Commission Chairman Steve Sisolak said he met with Mortgage Resolution representatives several times but isn���t sure whether the full board will take up the ���complicated issue.��� ���I���m always interested in listening, but I���ve got an issue using eminent domain for that process,��� Sisolak said. ���I don���t know if I can support that.��� Four cities in California ��� La Puente, El Monte, San Joaquin and Orange Cove ��� have contracted with Mortgage Resolution Partners, the company said. If it were to enter into such an agreement, North Las Vegas would be the biggest city to partner with the company. Eminent domain typically is used to seize land for public use, such as building roads or other infrastructure. Uffelman said a variety of federal and state programs already target underwater homeowners. Mortgage Resolution Partners argues existing programs don���t do enough to address the problem. 4 Minimum number of best news website awards a media company should win before you log on. When you bring Weight Watchers Meetings to your work place, you can... expect amazing WeightWatcherslv.com/AtWork ��� .......... . ...... �� Weight Watchers International, Inc., owner of the Weight Watchers registered trademark. All rights reserved. *Offer valid to contact person at New At Work Companies in area only. Minimum enrollments required. 12 20130325_VI07_F.indd 12 Leach, Kats, Chareunsy, Coolican, Brewer, Velotta, Spotleson, Bern Pulitzer | Dupont | EPPY | General Excellence | 25 MARCH 2013 | 3/21/13 2:18:15 PM