CENTRALIA, Mo. – The Centralia Board of Aldermen voted Monday night to become the latest Missouri municipal utility negotiate long-term transmission service on the Grain Belt Express Clean Line.
The project, awaiting approval by the Missouri Public Service Commission, could save participating municipal utility customers at least $10 million per year.
“The Grain Belt Express provides Centralia the ability to secure low-cost, clean power for our families and businesses,” said Centralia Mayor Tim Grenke. “This much needed infrastructure project will also create large work orders for Hubbell Power Systems, Centralia’s largest employer. The City of Centralia stands to benefit greatly from this project.”
Centralia joins a group of 67 Missouri municipalities that have agreed to negotiate to purchase power from the Grain Belt Express Clean Line. Other municipalities include Kirkton and Hannibal.
“We are thrilled that yet another Missouri municipality will negotiate transmission service on the Grain Belt Express, providing a significant cost savings for their ratepayers,” said Michael Skelly, President of Clean Line Energy. “The continued interest from Missouri municipalities to purchase capacity on the Grain Belt Express is a clear indication of Missourians demand for the Grain Belt Express.”
The project has been endorsed by Gov. Jay Nixon along with a host of corporate consumers. Those consumers include General Motors, Target, Unilever, Proctor & Gamble, Kellogg’s, Nestlé, and the Missouri Industrial Energy Consumers.
The wind energy overhead power line project has been approved in three other states including Indiana, Illinois and Kansas. Missouri is the last state where the project needs regulatory approval.
