Show-Me State Times

U.S. Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) has sent a letter to Department of Energy Secretary Chris Wright, urging the department to end its $4.9 billion conditional loan for the Grain Belt Express transmission line project. Hawley described the project as harmful to Missouri farmers and ranchers.

In his letter, Hawley wrote, “I write to you once again to urge the termination of the Department of Energy’s (DOE) $4.9 billion conditional loan to the green-energy Grain Belt Express (GBE) transmission line. Your department recently terminated 24 awards issued by the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations (OCED), citing ‘that these projects failed to advance the energy needs of the American people, were not economically viable and would not generate a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.’ Yet the GBE conditional loan has not been cancelled.”

Hawley referenced previous communications with DOE regarding concerns about the viability of the transmission line. He noted that after writing in March 2025 following confirmation that DOE was moving forward with a Draft Environmental Impact Statement process—a step toward approving the loan—he had not received a substantive response.

He continued, “During a recent House hearing, you stated, ‘It is deeply concerning how billions of dollars were rushed out the door without proper due diligence in the final days of the Biden administration.’ I completely agree. The Biden administration’s Department of Energy approved the loan to the Grain Belt Express at the eleventh hour… Your department should be taking every possible action to stop this loan – not only to save taxpayer’s money, but also to save generational land from being ripped away from families and hard-working farmers and ranchers in Missouri. Now is the time to act. I urge you to immediately terminate all agency actions related to the Department of Energy’s $4.9 billion loan to the Grain Belt Express.”

The senator asked Secretary Wright why DOE has not yet canceled funding for Grain Belt Express and whether there are plans for such an action.

The full text of Hawley's letter can be found on his official website.