The U.S. Department of Energy is canceling an almost $5 billion loan for a project that would bring wind energy through Missouri after pressure from state politicians.
The Grain Belt Express is an almost 800-mile planned transmission line that would connect renewable energy generation in Kansas, through Missouri, to the Illinois and Indiana border. The Biden administration awarded the project a loan guarantee in 2024, which the department just rescinded.
"It is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting this project," the Energy Department said in its announcement.
Missouri Republican U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley had sent multiple letters to the department urging the cancellation, largely in opposition to the project's use of eminent domain.
"Your department should be taking every possible action to stop this loan – not only to save taxpayer's money, but also to save generational land from being ripped away from families and hard-working farmers and ranchers in Missouri," Hawley wrote in June.
This month, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced he was launching an investigation into the project.
The Grain Belt Express received approval from Missouri regulators in 2019, granting the project the ability to use eminent domain. Multiple court decisions have upheld the project over the years, and it has received approval in the four states it runs through.
The transmission line represents an $11 billion infrastructure investment, according to the company's website.
The project would be capable of transporting 5,000 megawatts of energy, the equivalent of the output of four nuclear power plants, and the company said it will lead to tens of billions of dollars in savings for energy customers.
In a letter to Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Grain Belt Express Vice President Jim Shield said the transmission line "has been the target of egregious politically motivated lawfare."
"Building energy infrastructure to meet America's goals is getting harder and harder," Shield said. "The Grain Belt Express is a test of America's will to build."
The company asserts that the line is consistent with President Donald Trump's energy dominance agenda because the energy it can transport is not limited to renewable sources.
Project owner Invenergy and Grain Belt Express did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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