Transmission line to bring thousands in jobs, investment to Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana

Four states in the Midwest region of the U.S. including both Kansas and Missouri will see an increase in jobs and investment thanks to a recently approved Grain Belt Express transmission line.

In the works for close to a decade, the project is soon to break ground starting in Spearville, Kan. and to continue east through Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.

“The Grain Belt Express will be instrumental in helping to power Kansas and other states and will bring nearly 1,000 jobs and billions in economic investment and energy savings to our state,” Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly said.

The Grain Belt Express is one of the largest wind energy projects in the Midwest measured to be approximately 800 miles of high-voltage direct electric current.

Once complete, the transmission line will deliver up to 4,000 megawatts of clean energy, according to the Grain Belt Express website, stretching from Kansas to Indiana.

In Missouri and Kansas, projections calculate that consumers in both states will save up to $7 billion in electricity costs through 2045, according to a Wednesday news release from the Kansas governor’s office.

Construction of the transmission line is expected to deliver big advancements, most notably in rural areas, by adding broadband infrastructure to support rural high-speed internet access.

Advantages include the addition of thousands of jobs during construction and the investment of tens of millions across communities as well as delivering billions in savings for customers.

A link to the map and other information about the Grain Belt Express can be found here.