Grain Belt Express Project Canceled by Department of Energy
On Thursday, Republican Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri declared that the Department of Energy (DOE) has scrapped its Grain Belt Express initiative.
This announcement came after a discussion between President Donald Trump and Energy Secretary Chris Wright. Hawley referred to the project as a part of “green scams” that aimed to “collect billions of dollars from taxpayers.”
The Grain Belt Express was an ambitious $11 billion transmission line project intended to deliver electricity generated from wind farms situated in Missouri and Illinois, all the way to Indiana. The project’s website stated that “there’s a growing energy demand,” and emphasized that the grid requires updating, claiming no other projects could achieve significant savings for consumers.
In early July, the project was under scrutiny by Missouri’s Republican Attorney General, Andrew Bailey, whose office released a statement regarding an investigation tied to concerns over misleading claims and performance issues. Bailey stated, “We do not allow private companies to trample property rights and mislead regulators on behalf of Missourians.” He labeled it as a bait-and-switch tactic benefiting out-of-state interests.
breaking: I am conducting a survey of the Grain Belt Express Transmission Line, a nearly $5 billion green energy scam that is useless to Missouri people and is built on false promises. pic.twitter.com/xrgqt3nx5p
– Attorney General Andrew Bailey (@agandrewbailey) July 2, 2025
A report by Citizen Research Demand (CID) pointed out that the project heavily relied on “speculative and fraudulent assumptions,” including the use of a theoretical carbon tax that isn’t legally recognized by Missouri or federal laws.
This hypothetical carbon tax, which was supposed to justify expected benefits from the project, likely inflated its projected value for consumers in Missouri. The Grain Belt Express website stated that the projected benefits encompassed a $52 billion reduction in energy costs over a 15-year span.
Hawley’s announcement is part of a broader trend, as the Trump administration has made several cuts to costly green energy initiatives since taking office.
