Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has formally requested an investigation into the Grain Belt Express project, a venture he claims represents a misuse of nearly $5 billion in federal loan guarantees. Bailey's letter, addressed to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk, calls for scrutiny over what he describes as an "egregious abuse of taxpayer dollars."
The Grain Belt Express aims to build transmission lines across Missouri farmland to carry wind energy from Kansas to other states. The project has faced opposition from Missouri farmers and landowners who are concerned about property rights and the use of eminent domain.
Bailey criticized the initiative as part of a broader political agenda, stating: “In the waning, chaotic days of the Biden Administration — when the former president’s mental decline had grown to such a severe state that we now know he was not actually running his own White House and often signed documents without even knowing what they contained — left-wing bureaucrats seized the opportunity to advance their radical ‘green agenda.’” He further commented on what he sees as financial motivations behind the project: “This so-called renewable energy project is nothing more than a government-sponsored land grab disguised as environmentalism."
According to Bailey, nearly 40 eminent domain actions have been initiated against Missouri landowners due to this project. He argues these proceedings threaten citizens' property rights for out-of-state corporate gain.
“We will not stand by while Missouri families are steamrolled by out-of-state interests and unelected bureaucrats pushing a radical green agenda,” said Bailey. He urged DOGE to investigate and halt federal funding related to this initiative, which he associates with negative aspects of the previous administration's policies.
Bailey reiterated his office's commitment to protecting Missouri residents from excessive governmental intervention and ensuring federal funds benefit citizens rather than private investors.