With state approvals in hand, Invenergy is in talks with potential utility and corporate offtakers for capacity on its $7 billion, 5-GW Grain Belt Express transmission line set to run from Kansas to Illinois, according to Shashank Sane, executive vice president of transmission at the company.
The Missouri Public Service Commission approved the project in mid-October, marking the final state approval needed for the project to move forward. Also, Invenergy has selected Siemens Energy to supply the high-voltage, direct current technology for the first phase of the two-phase project and the Chicago-based company has acquired more than 95% of the land needed for phase one, Sane said in a Nov. 16 interview.
