By Don Corrigan
Reports of the death of the Grainbelt Express have been greatly exaggerated. After years of back and forth between the Missouri Legislature and the Missouri Courts, the Grain Belt Express may still moving forward.
Ameren Missouri has given the project a shot in the arm. Ameren plans to build a nearly 30-mile transmission line through Callaway and Montgomery Counties to connect local substations with the Grain Belt Express, a major multistate power line carrying renewable energy from Kansas to Indiana.
Ameren submitted its proposal to the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) in November and does still need regulatory approval before construction can begin.
The project is driven by growing energy production needs in the Midwest and the need for additional grid capacity, as identified by the regional grid operator MISO (Midcontinent Independent System Operator) Nearly all of the proposed route would follow existing utility corridors to reduce land and agricultural impacts. Most project costs would be paid by Invenergy, the developer of the Grain Belt Express, with remaining costs recoverable by Ameren through customer rates. PSC’s decision is expected next year, with construction targeted for 2029.
The former director of Kirkwood Electric, Mark Petty, worked with this project from the start to bring increased energy capacity to Kirkwood. Several other Missouri cities have been on board with the renewable energy capacity represented by the Grainbelt Express, including Hannibal and Springfield.
(Some information for this story provided by the Substack Newsletter of former Missouri State Legislator Deb Lavender)
Environmental Echo 