Land owners in Audrain and several other counties in Missouri will continue to be confronted with lawsuits backed by eminent domain from Grain Belt Express despite the cancellation of $4.9 billion in federal funding.

The Department of Energy announced the cancelation of the taxpayer-funded loan July 23 stating in a press release that the department found that the conditions necessary to issue the guarantee are unlikely to be met – therefore, it is not critical for the federal government to have a role in supporting the project.

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley celebrated the termination of what he calls a “boondogled loan.”

“The Grain Belt loan has been canceled and thank goodness for that,” Hawley said in a telephone interview with the Ledger, adding that this was exactly the right outcome.

Hawley said he doesn’t think that Invenergy ever qualified under the terms of the loan.

“I think a private corporation taking individuals' land, taking citizens' land for their own profit is ridiculous and I think we gotta make sure that doesn’t happen going forward,” Hawley said.

Despite the cancellation, a statement was issued by Grain Belt Express the same day claiming it will be America’s largest power pipeline.

“While we are disappointed about the LPO loan guarantee, a privately financed Grain Belt Express transmission superhighway will advance President Trump’s agenda of American energy and technology dominance while delivering billions of dollars in energy cost savings, strengthening grid reliability and resiliency, and creating thousands of American jobs,” the release stated.

Looking through a local lens

The Invenergy project is seeking the construction of an 800-mile power pipeline that spans from Kansas, across Missouri, through Illinois and into Indiana.

In 2019, the Missouri Public Service Commission granted Grain Belt Express a certificate of convenience and necessity allowing the company to use eminent domain to seize parcels along the 241-mile approved route for the line consisting of high-voltage direct current technology in Missouri.

The agreement was amended in October 2023 to include an extension of the main line Grain Belt Express calls the Tiger Connector.

“This is no different than if a gas station decided that there were no gas stations in 40 miles around and went and got rights to go and take land from land owners because of that,” Audrain County Eastern District Associate Commissioner Leslie Meyer said.

Audrain County Commissioners are opposed to Grain Belt Express primarily due to the power it exercises as a private company through eminent domain.

“We think if they want a farmer’s property, they should do like everyone else in the private sector and make them an offer high enough that the property owner is willing to listen,” Audrain County Presiding Commissioner Alan Winders said.

The Audrain County Commissioners have attended hearings and public meetings to understand the perspectives of their constituents, but as it stands, there is not much they can do for landowners.

“The county is not going to stop this project because we can’t,” Winders said. “It’s not up to us.”

They currently have a road use agreement with Grain Belt Express that they hope will protect the infrastructure of Audrain County on hold as they see where the project is going.

“My understanding is, every county involved in this, with the exception of Audrain and Callaway, have signed their road use agreement either because they thought it was a good idea or because the court told them they had to,” Winders said.