The Illinois Commerce Commission and other supporters of the Grain Belt Express transmission line are asking the state’s highest court to overturn a lower court order blocking construction of at least part of the $7 billion project — a ruling that some argue will harm efforts to build other energy infrastructure.
An Illinois appellate court in August said state regulators improperly approved the portion of the 780-mile power line that passes through the state on the grounds that the developer, Chicago-based Invenergy, didn’t show it’s capable of financing the project.
The appeal states the order from three Republican appellate justices in southern Illinois misinterprets the law, jeopardizing the project and its benefits to the state.
“Without this court’s intervention, Illinois residents will not see the benefits of clean, efficient, lower-cost, and more reliable electric service, as well as greater grid integration, at a time when severe weather and grid resilience are a significant issue,” the ICC said in its appeal.
