The $11 billion Grain Belt Express transmission line got a boost Friday when the Illinois Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that denied developers from obtaining a key construction permit.
In a 20-page opinion, justices affirmed a 2023 decision by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approving the high-voltage direct current power line that aims to provide eastern states access to cheap wind and solar energy in the Great Plains.
The ruling is a victory for developer Invenergy and project supporters in what’s been a 15-year legal and political saga — one that may not be done yet. It comes just a year after the Trump administration canceled a $4.9 billion loan guarantee for the 780-mile power line from southwestern Kansas to Indiana.
The lawsuit challenging the ICC permit was brought by the Illinois Farm Bureau and a group of landowners who object to granting developers the ability to acquire needed right of way for the line through eminent domain. A state appeals court in southern Illinois overturned approval of the line in 2024, ruling that Invenergy didn’t prove it is capable of financing the project without adverse impacts to consumers.