Missouri Regulators Approve Midwest Wind Energy Power Line

Missouri regulators have reversed course and given the go-ahead to one of the nation’s largest renewable energy projects.

The Grain Belt Express power line was approved Wednesday would carry wind power from Kansas on a 780-mile path across Missouri and Illinois before hooking into a power grid in Indiana that serves eastern states.

The Missouri Public Service Commission had rejected the project twice previously, but it reconsidered following a ruling last year by the state Supreme Court.

In November, Chicago-based Invenergy announced it was buying the project from Houston-based Clean Line Energy Partners. That deal should bolster the financing, but the sale still needs regulatory approval.

The transmission line also would need regulatory approval in Illinois, where a state appeals court overturned the state’s previous approval.