A new project is looking to provide Kansas wind power to cities in the east, reports Switchboard—the Natural Resources Defense Council Blog. The Grain Belt Express is an almost 800-mile high voltage transmission line running from Kansas to Indiana. The Illinois Commerce Commission recently approved the construction of the transmission lines in the state. As developers continue to harness the country's vast wind resources, large-scale transmission projects like the Grain Belt Express will become increasingly more common and vital.
The Grain Belt Express is no small endeavor. Upon completion, the line would deliver up to 4,000 megawatts of wind power eastward. That’s more than the total installed wind power capacity in the entire state of Illinois.
Kansas and Indiana's regulatory authorities have already approved the project in their respective states. Illinois’s agreement is a big step forward. However, Missouri has thus far refused to go along, and the The Grain Belt Express can’t get going without the Show Me state’s participation.