Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley says DOE will yank support for the $11B Grain Belt Express, one of the country’s largest transmission projects. Developer Invenergy says not so fast. (E&E News)
Catch up quick: The 800-mile line would move wind and solar power across four Midwest states, backed by a $4.9B conditional loan from the Biden DOE. But Hawley claims Energy Sec. Chris Wright pledged to kill the loan—a move opponents say would be illegal.
Grain Belt has already cleared state-level permits, lined up 1,500 voluntary landowner agreements, and argued the line is critical to meet growing AI-driven power demand.
Invenergy is urging DOE to honor its commitment and warned Friday that political interference threatens both grid reliability and rural payments, calling the rumors of a cancellation “unfounded noise.”