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MO Farm Bureau seeks remedies to Grain Belt decision

The Missouri Farm Bureau is considering remedies for a state appeals court decision allowing Clean Line Grain Belt to build wind energy transmission lines across northern Missouri using eminent domain. Missouri Farm Bureau president Blake Hurst tells Brownfield Ag News they continue to argue that Grain Belt is not a public entity so the state should not be able to take private lands, “Over 500 landowners will be affected. We think it’s a bad decision. We have a few weeks to decide whether or not to appeal.”

And Hurst says they are also looking into legislative remedies, “Which we will be pursuing when the new session of the Missouri legislative session starts. So, the battle is not over but this was a setback for sure. We are disappointed in the court decision and are examining our alternatives of where to go from here.”

The 2020 Missouri legislative session begins January 8^th.

Grain Belt Express is regulated by the Kansas Corporation Commission, the Missouri Public Service Commission, and the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission, and will seek utility status from the Illinois Commerce Commission. It is also regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC).