Energy project developer Invenergy awarded contracts totaling about $1.7 billion to Quanta Services and Kiewit Energy Group Inc. for first-phase construction of phase of its planned $7-billion Grain Belt Express transmission line in the midwest, the project owner announced May 7. 

The high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line would span about 800 miles across Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana, carrying up to 5,000 MW of electricity.

The newly awarded contracts cover work on the project’s first 530-mile section in Kansas and Missouri with a 2,500-MW capacity. Quanta will serve as engineering, procurement and construction contractor for the line’s lattice towers and transmission lines, while Kiewit will build two converter stations, an Invenergy spokesperson told ENR. 

“Grain Belt Express is an important project that supports the country’s energy dominance priority, manufacturing reshoring, mission to lead the world in artificial intelligence and secure our grid,” said Duke Austin, president and CEO of Quanta, in a statement. 

Invenergy aims to start construction in 2026. The firm says it already has commitments in place with equipment suppliers including Prysmian North America, Hubbell and Siemens Energy. 

The project’s corridor is one of several that U.S. Dept. of Energy officials previously highlighted as priority projects for funding and permitting because of their expected impact in improving grid reliability. As planned, Grain Belt Express would connect the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Associated Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI) grid regions with existing and planned power generation near the line’s connections.

“Interregional transmission is key to unleashing American energy dominance to power our nation’s businesses and strengthen our national security,” said Michael Polsky, Invenergy CEO, in a statement. 

Permitting Complications

While work on Grain Belt phase one is advancing, phase two permitting is still facing complications. Last August, an Illinois appeals court ruled that the Illinois Commerce Commission should not have approved part of the project in the state because the developer did not meet a financial requirement, despite a condition included with the approval that the company could not install any equipment on easement property until it satisfied the requirement. 

Invenergy’s Grain Belt Express subsidiary has appealed the decision to the state supreme court, records show. As planned, more than 200 miles of the line would run through Illinois.