Dive Brief:
- A 600-kilovolt transmission line running 370 miles through Kansas can move ahead following approval by Kansas regulators on Thursday.
- The Kansas Corporation Commission ruled 3-0 in favor of the project being put forth by Clean Line Energy Partners.
- The line is the largest segment of the $2 billion, 750-mile Grain Belt Express project. The project is designed to deliver 3,500 megawatts of wind energy from the Midwest to Eastern states.
Dive Insight:
The Grain Belt Express still needs regulatory approvals in Missouri, Illinois and Indiana. It was proposed in 2010 in response to a request for proposals for new or upgraded transmission projects under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. It is scheduled to be in operation 2018 but faces the usual challenges posed by an unpredictable power market. Will the power be needed by Eastern consumers in five years or will other, less costly or controversial options win out?