Court Dismisses Va. Utility Broadband Case

A court dismissed the rest of a landowners’ challenge to Virginia’s law empowering electric cooperatives to expand broadband. U.S. District Court in Charlottesville dismissed it without prejudice, said Monday's entry in case 3:20-cv-00065. The court earlier dismissed constitutional claims against Virginia in Grano v. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, leaving a contracts clause claim against REC. The landowners and REC filed a joint stipulation last week seeking dismissal. Grano's attorney earlier told us it was weighing options including possible appeal (see 2112030035). Baker didn’t comment now. An REC spokesperson said the cooperative couldn’t immediately comment due to “a major storm and widespread power outages across our system.”