Latest news with #transmissionline
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Energy Dept. Cancels Loan Commitment to Contested Transmission Project
The Energy Department on Wednesday said it had terminated a conditional commitment to provide a $4.9 billion loan to a company building a contentious transmission line across the Midwest. The cancellation may imperil the $11 billion project, known as Grain Belt Express, which would cross 800 miles of farmland and is designed to carry electricity generated by wind farms in Kansas to population centers in Illinois and Indiana. It is the kind of infrastructure that experts say is necessary to update America's aging electrical grid at a time of rising energy demand. If built, it would be the largest privately funded transmission line in the country's history. But the project, which is being developed by the Chicago-based company, Invenergy, has drawn intense backlash from some landowners and Republican lawmakers. This month, in a conversation with President Trump in the Oval Office, Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, pressed Mr. Trump to cancel the loan commitment. At Mr. Trump's urging, Senator Hawley said, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said he would do so. In a statement, the Energy Department said that it determined 'that the conditions necessary to issue the guarantee are unlikely to be met and it is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting this project.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump axes loan for Grain Belt power transmission project
WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - The administration of President Donald Trump on Wednesday axed a loan guarantee for the Grain Belt Express transmission project to send power from wind and solar energy projects in Kansas to cities in the Midwest and East. American farmers had opposed the conditional $4.9 billion loan guarantee that was initiated by the administration of former President Joe Biden, mainly due to the Grain Belt filing dozens of eminent domain, or compulsory acquisition, petitions against state landowners. The 800-mile (1,290 km) project, backed by private company Invenergy, was described by the company as the second-longest transmission line in U.S. history and a national "energy security backbone" that would connect four grid regions, including the PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. grid spanning states from Illinois to New Jersey. The Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office, or LPO, issued the conditional loan guarantee in November. The department said in a release on Wednesday it found the conditions necessary to issue the guarantee were unlikely to be met and "it is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting this project." Invenergy did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The project would also have supported Trump's "energy dominance" policy of maximizing energy output. The White House on May 9 had praised a $1.7 billion Invenergy investment in the project in a "list of wins" that bolster the U.S. economy and enhance national security. But Grain Belt also jarred with the administration's opposition to renewable energy sources, which it views as unreliable and expensive compared to fossil fuels. Trump only tapped the LPO for nuclear power in his first term. The Energy Department has said it is reviewing loans, including the $85 billion in closed loans and conditional commitments LPO made between the day Trump won the election in November to the day he came back into office in January.
CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
ADVERTISEMENT Northern Ontario Watch First Nation warns of possible protests over Hydro One's North Shore Link route Hydro One hosted an open house in Sault Ste. Marie to discuss its preferred route for the North Shore Link transmission line. Garden River First Nation opposes the plan, saying it crosses land tied to an unresolved treaty claim. Chief Karen Bell warns of protests without proper consultation, but Hydro One says it's committed to dialogue. Cory Nordstrom has the latest.
Northern Ontario Watch Hydro One hosted an open house in Sault Ste. Marie to discuss its preferred route for the North Shore Link transmission line. Garden River First Nation opposes the plan, saying it crosses land tied to an unresolved treaty claim. Chief Karen Bell warns of protests without proper consultation, but Hydro One says it's committed to dialogue. Cory Nordstrom has the latest.
New York Times
17-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
With One Call, Trump Alters the Fate of a Contested Power Project
Senator Josh Hawley, Republican of Missouri, said he had secured a commitment from Energy Secretary Chris Wright to cancel a conditional loan guarantee that the federal agency had granted to the developers of an $11 billion transmission line in the Midwest, with an assist from President Trump. The line, known as Grain Belt Express, is designed to transport electricity generated by wind farms in Kansas across four states, including Missouri, to more densely populated regions in Indiana and Illinois. It would be the largest privately funded transmission line in the country's history, said Invenergy, its developer. In the works for more than a decade, the project appeared in recent months to have everything it needed to proceed, according to Invenergy. Approvals from the four states were in hand, contractors were ready to begin construction and the loan guarantee from the government provided critical financial support. It was just the kind of project that utilities and energy experts say is needed, a way to deliver new sources of energy to meet spiking demand for electricity around the country. But in recent weeks, challenges in Missouri appeared. Mr. Hawley began to question the viability of the project, saying it did not benefit Missouri residents and that farmers were upset that Invenergy was using eminent domain in some cases to run high voltage lines and place transmission towers on farmland. In March and again in June, Mr. Hawley called on the Energy Department to cancel the $4.9 billion loan guarantee for the project, which was awarded during the final months of the Biden Administration. This month, the Missouri attorney general, Andrew Bailey, a Republican, opened an investigation into the project and requested that the state's Public Service Commission reconsider its approval. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CBC
12-07-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Thousands of residents lose power in Happy Valley-Goose Bay outage
Social Sharing Residents of Happy Valley-Goose Bay are experiencing a power outage, after teams witnessed arcing on a piece of equipment, Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro spokesperson Jill Pitcher said. "For safety, the transmission line to [Happy Valley-Goose Bay] was de-energized to investigate," she wrote in a statement to CBC News on Saturday. Pitcher said a gas turbine is being brought online to serve customers until power is restored. In a social media post at 5:45 p.m., N.L. Hydro stated that progress was made toward replacing damaged disconnect switches. "Power is now expected to be restored in about 2 hours," wrote N.L. Hydro in the post. According to outage updates on N.L. Hydro's website, crews are on-site and determining the next steps for repairs. The update said an unplanned emergency outage began at about 1 p.m. due to arcing and a possible fire at a terminal station. All customers in Happy Valley-Goose Bay are affected by the outage, N.L. Hydro said. Another update said the arcing occurred on one phase of a gang-operated switch on one of the transmission lines. "[The Energy Control Centre] is also working to start the gas turbine to support as much of [Labrador East's] load as possible," N.L. Hydro said in the update. N.L. Hydro also wrote in a social media post that "we are investigating the issue and will provide more information as it is known. We apologize for the inconvenience today." Perry Trimper, the MHA for Lake Melville, said in a social media post that he has learned of arcing and a possible fire on the main power line between Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Muskrat Falls. "NL Hydro is now proceeding with activating the gas turbine. A crew to do this is being mobilized," he wrote in his post. Trimper told CBC News he estimates it could take a few hours to restore power. Happy Valley-Goose Bay Mayor George Andrews said the weather has been very hot over the past couple of days, and there is currently a fire ban. Andrews said if the power outage continues, there will be conversations about establishing a cooling centre. However, he said that there are very few places that would have power. They include the Co-op store, which has a generator, and the hospital.
