Grain Belt Express, the largest electric transmission project in the U.S., on May 7 announced nearly $1.7 billion in combined U.S. contractor awards to Quanta Services, a leader in specialized infrastructure solutions for the energy industry, and Kiewit Energy Group Inc., one of America’s leading engineering, construction and procurement companies.
Grain Belt Express, an Invenergy project, is an 800-mile transmission line using state-of-the-art high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology.
It spans 4 states—Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana—that have all approved the line as a project in the public interest.
The open-access transmission line will add 5,000 megawatts of U.S. energy delivery capacity.
By unlocking market efficiencies, Grain Belt Express will provide $52 billion in energy cost savings to Americans over 15 years, Invenergy said.
Grain Belt Express Phase 1, the portion of the project connecting Kansas and Missouri, is targeting commencement of construction in 2026.
Quanta Services and Kiewit have strong local presences and expect to source raw materials locally in Kansas and Missouri when possible, including concrete, aggregate, civil materials, conduit, and piping.
Main construction, engineering, and procurement offices for Grain Belt Express Phase 1 will be based out of Overland Park and Lenexa, KS.
Grain Belt Express will strengthen U.S. grid security and enhance reliability, enabling deliverability for both new-build generation and over eight gigawatts of existing dispatchable generation near the line’s connections with multiple regional grids, Invenergy said.
"The line’s pro-market merchant business model brings together willing buyers and sellers of electricity, an alternative to central planning where ratepayers shoulder all costs for new transmission lines," it said.
"Grain Belt Express will help states and regions meet rapidly growing electricity demand driven by data centers and manufacturing, while also powering economic prosperity with direct infrastructure investment in local economies."
The selection of Quanta and Kiewit adds to domestic energy supply chain investments and commercial commitments for Grain Belt Express Phase 1 as project execution advances toward construction:
- Prysmian North America: Long-term supply and manufacturing agreement for advanced transmission conductors. Agreement supports a 50,000 square foot factory expansion nearing completion in Williamsport, PA that is set to double U.S. manufacturing capacity for certain advanced transmission conductors using U.S. aluminum.
- Hubbell: Equipment supply and manufacturing agreement for insulators and transmission assemblies. This agreement will continue to support American jobs across Hubbell’s manufacturing and distribution operation in Centralia, Mo., where Hubbell is the largest employer, and its manufacturing facilities in Leeds, AL and Aiken, S.C.
- Siemens Energy: Supply agreement for the HVDC transmission technology for Phase 1 of the project. Siemens Energy will support the engineering, procurement, construction, and final integrated design of the HVDC converter stations in Kansas and Missouri.
- Missouri Public Utility Alliance: Transmission service agreements to provide access to contractual energy cost savings for 39 Missouri municipal utilities.
- 1,500 Landowner Agreements: Over $105 million in executed easement agreements, including $19 million already paid to landowners and an additional $86 million due at construction. Easement agreements allow continued use of the land, and over 95% of Grain Belt Express Phase 1 main line land acquisition is complete.
