ATLANTA, GEORGIA (Chad Archey, Energy Analytics Institute, 7.May.2025) — Grain Belt Express, the largest electric transmission project in the US, announced nearly $1.7bn in combined US contractor awards to Quanta Services, a leader in specialized infrastructure solutions for the energy industry, and Kiewit Energy Group Inc., 1 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 US energy delivery capacity.
By unlocking market efficiencies, Grain Belt Express will provide $52bn 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, Invenergy announced on 7 May 2025 in an official statement.
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, according to Invenergy.
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.
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By Chad Archey reporting from Atlanta. © 2025 Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.
