The House moved to ban the use of eminent domain for a large wind-energy power line planned to span from Kansas to Indiana.
In a voice vote on Tuesday, lawmakers approved legislation that would prevent the use of private land for the Grain Belt Express power line without property owners’ permission. The high-voltage power line would carry wind energy from Kansas across Missouri and Illinois before hooking into a power grid in Indiana that serves eastern states. Many Missouri farmers and virtually all commodity groups opposed a plan to build the 206-mile high-voltage electric power line.
The project could have included an additional 1,500 jobs, property tax revenues, and an estimated 9.5 to 11 million dollars in annual savings for customers.