Show-Me State Times

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has announced a significant development regarding the Grain Belt Express project. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has terminated the conditional loan guarantee initially approved during the Biden Administration for this large-scale energy initiative.

Attorney General Bailey commented on the decision, stating, "We’ve won a battle in the war for Missouri landowners. This massive green energy scam, propped up by the Biden Administration to benefit corporate interests at the expense of family farms, has now lost federal backing thanks to a return to responsible leadership."

The original loan guarantee was valued at nearly $5 billion and was granted in November 2024. The DOE under President Trump's administration reviewed and concluded that the project's financials did not justify federal support.

Bailey further expressed gratitude towards President Trump and DOE Secretary Chris Wright for their intervention, stating they acted to protect taxpayers from what he described as a "reckless green energy scam."

The Grain Belt Express aimed to transport wind energy from Kansas across Missouri to the East Coast. However, it faced criticism for offering minimal benefits to Missouri residents while threatening local landowners' property rights.

Attorney General Bailey affirmed his commitment to opposing any efforts by Invenergy or other entities to proceed with the project against landowners' wishes: "If Invenergy still intends to force this project on unwilling landowners, we will continue to fight every step of the way."

The decision is seen as a victory for those advocating against what they view as an unconstitutional land acquisition effort.