KANSAS CITY, MO — Grain Belt Express, the largest electric transmission project in the U.S., announces nearly $1.7 billion in combined U.S. contractor awards to Quanta Services (Quanta), a specialized infrastructure solutions company in the energy industry, and Kiewit Energy Group Inc. (Kiewit), an engineering, construction, and procurement company.
Grain Belt Express, an Invenergy project, is an 800-mile transmission line using high-voltage direct current (HVDC) technology. It spans four 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. Grain Belt Express Phase 1, the portion of the project connecting Kansas and Missouri, is targeting commencement of construction in 2026, which is estimated to create over 4,000 jobs.
“We’re pleased to partner with Quanta and Kiewit as we build the biggest transmission line in U.S. history. Grain Belt Express is a transformative project that delivers jobs and deepens America’s energy supply chain capabilities in innovative transmission technology,” said Michael Polsky, Founder & CEO of Invenergy. “Interregional transmission is key to unleashing American energy dominance to power our nation’s businesses and strengthen our national security.”
Quanta Services and Kiewit have 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, Kansas.
“Grain Belt Express is an important project that supports the country’s energy dominance priority, manufacturing reshoring, mission to lead the world in artificial intelligence, and secure our grid," said Duke Austin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Quanta Services. "The entire Quanta team, including those at our Infrastructure Solutions Group in Kansas City, is ready and looks forward to helping modernize our electric infrastructure and bring much-needed relief to energy consumers across the Midwest."
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“We’re very pleased to be an integral part of the Grain Belt Express project, which is focused on delivering a significant transmission project that will help ensure reliable, secure power in the United States,” said Chad Jessen, Executive Vice President, Kiewit Energy Group Inc. “Our extensive EPC [engineer, procure, construct] experience with complex power delivery projects suits us well, especially using this HVDC technology to connect grid regions to help reliably meet growing energy demand.”
Grain Belt Express will strengthen U.S. grid security and enhance reliability, enabling deliverability for both new-build generation and over 8 gigawatts of existing dispatchable generation near the line’s connections with multiple regional grids. 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. 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.
“This announcement shows once again how much Missouri can contribute to big infrastructure projects like this transmission line, which will help bring energy savings and reliability to 39 municipal utilities across the state," Missouri Speaker of the House Jon Patterson said. "It’s great to see Grain Belt Express continuing to invest in Missouri and support our workers, especially after their recent agreements with Hubbell Power Systems in Centralia and the Missouri Public Utility Alliance."
“Grain Belt Express is a multi-billion-dollar investment in Kansas and an essential American infrastructure project," Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson said. "The selection of contractors and suppliers with a local presence is just one of the many sizable economic benefits Grain Belt Express brings, in addition to greater energy cost savings and reliability."
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“Kansans working to balance household budgets and run businesses want energy that’s affordable and reliable, and that’s what we are getting with Grain Belt Express, all without ratepayers being forced to pay for it," Kansas Speaker of the House Daniel Hawkins said. "I look forward to seeing the positive impact of the thousands of jobs and billions in investment that this project will bring to Kansas."
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, Pennsylvania, 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, Missouri, where Hubbell is the largest employer, and its manufacturing facilities in Leeds, Alabama, and Aiken, South Carolina.
- 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 percent of Grain Belt Express Phase 1 main line land acquisition is complete.
