EIS-0554: Grain Belt Express Transmission Line

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

 

GBX_Draft Environmental Impact Statement (31.18 MB)
Appendix 1 (45.4 MB)
Appendix 2 (16.5 MB)
Appendix 3 (7.2 MB)
Appendix 4 (13.0 MB)
Appendix 5 (47.8 MB)
Appendix 6 (48.7 MB)
Appendix 7 (48.4 MB)
Appendix 8 (48.0 MB)
Appendix 9 (18.4 MB)
 

  • Project Overview

    On January 17, 2025, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Loan Programs Office (LPO), announced the availability of the draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Project (Project). The DEIS analyzes the impacts associated with providing potential financial assistance (a federal loan guarantee) to Grain Belt Express, LLC, for construction and energization of the Project. The notice of availability (NOA) (Docket No. DOE-HQ-2023-0020) started the public review and comment period.

    The Project consists of a 542-mile overhead high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission line that would extend between Ford County, Kansas, and Monroe County, Missouri; an HVDC converter station at each terminus; optical regeneration facilities along the HVDC transmission line; the Tiger Connector, a 36-mile overhead alternating current (AC) transmission line; and an approximately 0.2-mile overhead AC transmission line. The Tiger Connector would extend from the HVDC converter station in Monroe County, Missouri to the McCredie Substation and the Burns Substation in Callaway County, Missouri; and the 0.2-mile AC transmission line would extend from the HVDC converter station to the Saddle Substation in Ford County, Kansas. 

    The project will connect three regional grids: the Southwest Power Pool (SPP), the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), and Associated Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI) and will significantly expand import and export capabilities between these areas. Developing HVDC transmission is essential to add more energy to the grid and expand transmission capacity across the nation. HVDC transmission’s higher efficiency and lower line losses compared to traditional alternating current (AC) transmission lines make it ideal for moving large amounts of power over long distances and between grid regions.

    The DEIS can be downloaded from the link below. Hard copies of the DEIS are available for review at several locations in the project area; see list below. 
    • Grain Belt Express Transmission Project Phase 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)      
        •    Appendix Vol. 1
        •    Appendix Vol. 2
        •    Appendix Vol. 3
        •    Appendix Vol. 4
        •    Appendix Vol. 5
        •    Appendix Vol. 6
        •    Appendix Vol. 7
        •    Appendix Vol. 8
        •    Appendix Vol. 9

     

    The project is covered by FAST-41, and the following Federal agencies participated as cooperating agencies in the preparation of the DEIS: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation was a participating agency.

    On November 25, 2024, DOE LPO announced Conditional Commitment for a loan guarantee
    of up to $4.9 billion ($4.4 billion in principal and $470 million in capitalized interest) to Grain Belt Express LLC.

    This project has no relationship to the Department of Energy's National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) program, and a federal corridor designation is no longer being considered in Kansas or Missouri.

    LPO requests data, comments, information, analysis, or suggestions relevant to the environmental analysis in the DEIS from the public; affected federal, tribal, state, and local governments, agencies and offices; the scientific community; industry; or any other interested party. For details on how to provide comments, please see: How to Provide Comments 

    Public Meetings
    LPO will hold six public meetings for the Project, four in-person and two virtual. All meetings are open to the public and free to attend. Registration for in-person meetings is not required. Registration for the virtual public meetings is required and may be completed below. Meeting information will be sent to registrants via their email address provided during registration.

    The in person public meetings will be held at the following dates and times (Central Time): 
    •    Monday, February 10, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., Dodge City Public Library, 1001 N. 2nd Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801
    •    Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., Holiday Inn Express, 2175 Lincoln St., Concordia, Kansas 66901
    •    Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. St. Joseph Museum, Jackie Lewin Conference Roon, 3406 Frederick Ave. St. Joseph, Missouri 64506
    •    Thursday, February 13, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., La Bella Casa Event Center, 5 South Main St., Carrollton, Missouri 64633

    The virtual public meetings will be held at the following dates and times (Central Time): 
    •    Virtual, Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Register Here 
    •    Virtual, Thursday, February 20, 2025, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.  Register Here
    To review information provided during the public meetings, please see the Public Meeting Information.

    Hard Copies of the DEIS
    Hard copies of the DEIS are available for public review at the following libraries: 
    •    Dodge City Public Library, 1001 N 2nd Ave, Dodge City, Kansas 67801
    •    Southwest Kansas Library System, 100 Military Ave Suite 210, Dodge City, Kansas 67801
    •    Frank Carlson Library, 702 Broadway, Concordia, Kansas 66901
    •    Learning Resource Center, 2221 Campus Dr., Concordia, Kansas 66901
    •    Great Bend Public Library, 1409 Williams St., Great Bend, Kansas 67530
    •    Hays Public Library 1205 Main St., Hays, Kansas 67601
    •    Manhattan Public Library, 629 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, Kansas 66502
    •    Kansas City Public Library, 6242 Swope Pkwy, Kansas City, Missouri 64130
    •    Mid-Continent Woodneath, 8900 NE Flintlock Rd., Kansas City, Missouri 64157
    •    Little Dixie Regional Library, 111 N. 4th St., Moberly, Missouri 65270
    •    Little Dixie Regional Library, 102 E Library St., Huntsville, Missouri 65259
    •    St. Joseph Public Library, 927 Felix Street, St., Joseph, Missouri 64501
    •    East Hills Library, 502 N Woodbine Rd., St., Joseph, Missouri 64506
    •    Carnegie Branch Library, 316 Massachusetts St., St. Joseph, Missouri 64504
    •    Carrollton Public Library, 1 North Folger St., Carrollton, Missouri 64633
    •    Trails Regional Library, 203 E Kelling Ave., Waverly, Missouri 64096
     

  • How to Provide Comments

     Comments must be sent by or postmarked no later than 11:59 PM on March 3, 2025.

    There are several ways to provide comments on the DEIS:

    1. Fill out the comment form on the “How to Comment” tab
    2. Email [email protected]
    3. Orally or in writing during one of the in-person or virtual public meetings listed below
    4. In writing submitted by mail or any other delivery service, enclosed in an envelope labeled “Grain Belt Express EIS” and addressed to Todd Stribley, NEPA Compliance Officer, U.S. Department of Energy, Loan Programs Office – LP30, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington D.C., 20585. 
    5. Through the regulations.gov web portal: Navigate to http://www.regulations.gov and search for Docket No. DOE-HQ-2023-0020. Click on the “Comment” button below the document link. Enter your information and comment, then click “Submit Comment.”

    Comments should be as specific as possible and should provide as much detail as necessary to meaningfully and fully inform DOE LPO on why the issues raised are important to the consideration of potential environmental effects and/or the alternatives to the proposed action.

    Please include your name and address as part of your comment.  DOE LPO does not consider anonymous comments.  DOE LPO makes your comments, including your name and address, available for public review.  You may request that DOE LPO withhold your name, address, or any other personally identifiable information (PII) included in your comment from the public record; however, DOE LPO cannot guarantee that it will be able to do so. 

    Document files can be attached and submitted along with your comments via the form below. 

  • Public Meeting Room
    On January 17, 2025, DOE LPO released a Notice to Availability announcing the availability of the DEIS for Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Project. The publication of the DEIS initiated a 45-day public comment period. During the public comment period, DOE LPO is hosting 6 public meetings – 4 in-person meetings and 2 virtual public meetings - to allow the public to learn more about the DEIS, ask questions, and provide oral testimony, at the following dates and times (Central Time):

    In Person Meetings: 
    •    Monday, February 10, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., Dodge City Public Library, 1001 N. 2nd Ave., Dodge City, Kansas 67801
    •    Tuesday, February 11, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., Holiday Inn Express, 2175 Lincoln St., Concordia, Kansas 66901
    •    Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m. St. Joseph Museum, Jackie Lewin Conference Roon, 3406 Frederick Ave. St. Joseph, Missouri 64506
    •    Thursday, February 13, 2025, 4 p.m.–6 p.m., La Bella Casa Event Center, 5 South Main St., Carrollton, Missouri 64633

    Virtual Meetings: 
    •    Virtual, Wednesday, February 19, 2025, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Register Here 
    •    Virtual, Wednesday, February 20, 2025, 4 p.m.-6 p.m.  Register Here


    The following documents are available for your viewing:
    •    Notice of Availability of Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Project DEIS 
    •    DEIS and Appendices
        •    Appendix Vol. 1
        •    Appendix Vol. 2
        •    Appendix Vol. 3
        •    Appendix Vol. 4
        •    Appendix Vol. 5
        •    Appendix Vol. 6
        •    Appendix Vol. 7
        •    Appendix Vol. 8
        •    Appendix Vol. 9
    •    DEIS Public Meeting Presentation
        •    Presentation Video
        •    Presentation Video Transcript
        •    Presentation Slides
    •    DEIS Posters

  • Project History
    The Grain Belt Express Transmission Project was initiated in 2010 by a subsidiary of Clean Line Energy Partners LLC. In 2020, Invenergy Transmission LLC acquired the project and updated the design and sequencing of the Project to include the addition of the Tiger Connector, which enabled the phasing Project and expanded interconnection to MISO. Phasing the project resulted in two segments – Phase 1 from Ford County, Kansas to the HVDC converter station in Monroe County, Missouri, and south to Callaway County, Missouri and Phase 2 from the HVDC converter station in Monroe County Missouri to Sullivan County, Indiana.

    Only Phase 1 of the Project was included in the Applicant’s request for federal financing via the loan guarantee; therefore, only Phase 1 is reviewed in this DEIS.

    Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Project required approvals from the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) and Missouri Public Service Commission (MPSC). An assessment of alternatives for the Project’s route selection were conducted as part of KCC and MPSC’s regulatory approval process.

    •    The KCC initially approved the Project on November 7, 2013, in a Notice Granting Siting Permit, and approved the updated design with two phases on June 13, 2023.

    •    The MPSC initially approved the Project on March 20, 2019, and approved the updated design with two phases on October 12, 2023.

    The following documents are available for your viewing:
    •    KCC Approval 
    •    MPSC Approval
    •    Routing Study: Kansas
    •    Routing Study: Missouri

    Notice of Intent
    On December 16, 2022, DOE LPO published a Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line Project.

    Link to Notice of Intent

    Link to Federal Register

    Public Scoping 
    A Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an EIS was published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2022. The NOI informed the public of the upcoming environmental analysis and described how the public can become involved in the EIS preparation. The NOI started the scoping process, which is the period in which the federal agency and the public collaborate to define the range of issues and potential alternatives to be addressed in the EIS. Public scoping for the Project was initiated in December 2022 and ended on February 28, 2023.  

    DOE LPO hosted a series of virtual and in-person public meetings between January 25 and February 2, 2023.

    The following documents from the Public Scoping Process are available for your viewing:
    •    Grain Belt Express Scoping Summary Document
    •    Grain Belt Express Scoping presentation
    •    Grain Belt Express Scoping Fact Sheet
    •    Recording: January 25, 2023 Virtual Public Meeting
    •    Recording: January 26, 2023 Virtual Public Meeting

    Conditional Commitment
    On November 25, 2024, DOE LPO announced Conditional Commitment for a loan guarantee
    of up to $4.9 billion ($4.4 billion in principal and $470 million in capitalized interest) to Grain Belt Express LLC.