Wind energy project to go back in front of Public Service Commission

Clean Line Energy officials will go back to the Public Service Commission for the second day Tuesday to discuss the Grain Belt Express.

Grain Belt Express is a direct current transmission line that will deliver wind energy from western Kansas to utilities and customers in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana and neighboring states. It would stretch about 780 miles overhead.

The transmission line would cut across the state of Missouri, including a few counties in mid-Missouri.

Clean Line Energy will be asking the Public Service Commission for approval of the project for the second time. The commission initially denied the wind energy project because the company hasn’t received permission from eight of the counties it was going to build across.

Clean Line Energy took the denial to the Missouri Supreme Court in July, and judges ruled in the company’s favor, stating that it didn’t need that certain kind of permission from the counties.

The hearing starts at 9 a.m. at the Governor’s Office.

EDITOR’S NOTE: The name of the Public Service Commission has been corrected.