“This is a HUGE win for Missouri landowners and taxpayers who should not have to fund these green energy scams.”
The X posting of Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey after the Energy Department on Wednesday ended the conditional $4.9 billion loan guarantee for the Grain Belt Express power line that runs from southwest Kansas through, Missouri, Illinois and into Indiana, but also that conservatives criticized as a green energy project.
It means a huge roadblock for Invenergy, the company behind the project, one of the latest moves by the Trump administration to undo the green energy efforts of the Biden administration. Approval in the Biden administration came in November 2024.
“After a thorough review of the project’s financials, DOE found that the conditions necessary to issue the guarantee are unlikely to be met and it is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting this project. To ensure more responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources, DOE has terminated its conditional commitmen,” the Energy department said in a statement.
It might not be the last project to see its funding cancelled. The DOE said in its statement it was reviewing every applicant and borrower, including the nearly $100 billion in closed loans and conditional commitments its Loan Program Office made between Election Day 2024 to Inauguration Day 2025.
“This ongoing review positions LPO to move forward with a lower risk tolerance in lending practices and an uncompromising focus on expanding access to affordable, reliable and secure energy for the American people,” stated the DOE.
The official denial came after Missouri Republican Sen. Josh Hawley claimed on X this month that he secured a pledge from Energy Secretary Chris Wright that he would be “putting a stop to the Grain Belt Express green scam.”
He and Missouri GOP leaders had contended the Grain Belt Expess is against the interests of farmers and landowners. They were also critical of Invenergy’s use of eminent domain.
