The $7 billion, four-state transmission project covering four states, won approval Thursday of the Kansas Corporation Commission.
Regulators signed off on Invenergy’s Grain Belt Express, a move that established the route for two inter-related 345 kV alternating current transmission lines and their associated facilities as part of the Southwest Kansas “AC Collector System.” The 800-mile project is designed to carry wind-powered electricity from southwest Kansas across Missouri and Illinois and to Indiana.
The two approved AC Collector Lines include the Meade-Dodge City Line, which will traverse parts of Ford, Meade and Gray counties, and the Bucklin-Dodge City Line, which is in Ford County. Each line will serve as a delivery node for nearby electric generation facilities, minimizing overall transmission right-of-way requirements. The siting permit follows earlier KCC approvals that established the need for the Grain Belt Express transmission project, including the AC Collector System.
“This development milestone provides yet more certainty of the economic development and energy reliability benefits that Grain Belt Express will soon deliver for Kansas,” said Kevin Chandler, Director of Transmission Development with Invenergy.
“New transmission infrastructure will make it possible for Southwest Kansas to harness its tremendous energy potential and create a new path to market that will benefit communities locally and the Midwest as a whole.”
Headquartered in Chicago, Invenergy has regional development offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Poland, and Scotland.
Grain Belt Express LLC held public open houses for the AC Collector Lines in February and, after incorporating feedback from the public and stakeholders, submitted its application on May 31, 2024. The application was thoroughly reviewed, and a local public hearing was held in Dodge City on July 10. The KCC’s approval reflects public input received during this process.
The announcement said Grain Belt Express LLC is committed to collaborating closely with route landowners and local governments. In the next month, landowners along the two AC Collector Lines will receive detailed communications from the project team regarding next steps, including the easement offer process.
Grain Belt Express has also been recently engaging Kansas stakeholders regarding the preliminary Midwest-Plains National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) that has been proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy. This month, Invenergy called on DOE to significantly narrow the proposed Midwest-Plains NIETC corridor from the proposed 5-mile width to 0.5 miles.
In its comments to DOE, Invenergy noted that narrowing the Midwest-Plains corridor to a half-mile width would provide further clarity for southeast Kansas residents and communities that the Kansas AC Collector System would not be included in a Midwest-Plains NIETC designation. To help further address stakeholder concerns, in its comments, Invenergy also encourages DOE to consider additional opportunities for stakeholder involvement and engagement.
The Order Granting the AC Collector Siting Permit can be read here.