Grain Belt Express Launches Open Solicitation Process to Offer HVDC Transmission Line Capacity Delivering to MISO/AECI
March 2024CHICAGO (March 12, 2024) – Grain Belt Express LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Invenergy Transmission LLC, today announced the launch of an Open Solicitation process to allocate up to 800 megawatts (MW) of transmission capacity on Phase 1 of the Grain Belt Express HVDC transmission line. The Brattle Group will oversee the process as the Independent Solicitation Manager.
Connecting four states and four grid regions across 800 miles, Grain Belt Express will carry affordable, reliable power to homes and businesses in the Midwest and other regions. The 5,000-megawatt interregional infrastructure project will be built in two phases to enable the delivery of energy resources located in Kansas in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP).
Grain Belt Express Phase 1 will enable the delivery of up to 2,500 MW to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) and Associated Electric Cooperative Incorporated (AECI) grid regions via interconnection points in northeast Missouri. Phase 2 will deliver an additional 2,500 MW to the PJM Interconnection (PJM) grid region. Phase 1 construction is expected to begin in 2025 and commence operation in the first quarter of 2029.
Grain Belt Express LLC is targeting up to 800 MW of transmission rights for Phase 1 through the Open Solicitation. The Open Solicitation process will operate in accordance with the project’s Negotiated Rate Authority approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on February 29, 2024. More details on the Grain Belt Express project and the Open Solicitation process, including an Information Memorandum, are available at http://www.os-grainbeltexpress.com/.
Through the Open Solicitation process, Grain Belt Express LLC intends to negotiate contracts with qualified parties for firm transmission rights at negotiated rates. Interested parties must submit a non-binding Expression of Interest on the website by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on April 12, 2024. Grain Belt Express LLC and The Brattle Group will finalize the list of parties for bilateral negotiations by April 26, 2024. Grain Belt Express LLC will only consider applications seeking a minimum of 200 MW of transmission rights.
Questions from interested parties can be directed to The Brattle Group via the open solicitation website or by emailing [email protected]. The firm has extensive experience in designing, managing, and evaluating auction and solicitation processes, as well as providing strategic bidding advice to stakeholders in the electric power and telecommunications sectors.
Recent Grain Belt Express Project Milestones
2024:
• Grain Belt Express received Title 41 of Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) designation by the Federal Permitting Improvement Steering Council, signifying its national priority importance to improving grid reliability and energy affordability, particularly in the Midwest region.
• The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) authorized Grain Belt Express’ request to amend its Negotiated Rate Authority, subject to a compliance filing, enabling a new open solicitation process to contract power delivery on Phase 1 of the line.
2023:
• Grain Belt Express secured all state regulatory approvals and amendments to increase the line’s capacity to 5,000 megawatts and to be financed and constructed in two phases.
• Grain Belt Express secured supply chain commitments and executed Preferred Supplier Agreements with Siemens Energy (January) for the HVDC technology and Prysmian North America (April) for the transmission conductor cable.
• Grain Belt Express acquired 95% of easements for the Phase 1 HVDC main line route, between southwest Kansas and northeast Missouri. Grain Belt Express also holds land control for the converter stations.
About Grain Belt Express
Grain Belt Express is a $7 billion electric transmission infrastructure project connecting four states—Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana—across 800 miles. An Invenergy Transmission project, Grain Belt Express will carry more affordable, reliable power to millions of homes and businesses across the Midwest and other regions, delivering 100% domestic, clean electricity while powering economic opportunity and energy security. Learn more at GrainBeltExpress.com.
About Invenergy Transmission
Grain Belt Express LLC and Invenergy Transmission LLC are subsidiaries of Invenergy. Invenergy drives innovation in energy. Invenergy and its affiliated companies develop, own, and operate large-scale renewable and other clean energy generation and storage facilities in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Headquartered in Chicago, Invenergy has regional offices in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Spain, Japan, Poland, and Scotland. Invenergy and its affiliated companies have successfully developed more than 30,000 megawatts of projects that are in operation, construction or contracted, including wind, solar, transmission infrastructure and natural gas power generation and advanced energy storage projects. Learn about Invenergy at Invenergy.com.
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Media Inquiries:
Dia Kuykendall, Invenergy ([email protected])
Open Solicitation Inquiries:
Abbie Munafo, The Brattle Group ([email protected])