Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), has filed a comprehensive proposal with the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) to stimulate economic growth, enhance grid reliability, and support increased job creation across the state. The initiative, known as the Powering Missouri Growth Plan, is specifically crafted to address the surging energy needs from large-scale, energy-intensive sectors such as advanced manufacturing facilities and data centers.

The company’s plan is designed to provide reliable service to new industry entrants while safeguarding existing ratepayers from undue cost burdens. According to Ameren Missouri, the proposal incorporates consumer protection mechanisms requiring expanding businesses to cover their share of infrastructure and service upgrades. This approach ensures residential and small business customers are shielded from rate increases associated with economic expansion.

A key objective of the plan is to make Missouri a more attractive destination for businesses considering relocation or expansion, which Ameren Missouri believes will translate to significant job creation and additional revenue for essential public services, such as schools and fire departments. The plan’s alignment with recent Missouri energy legislation also means it includes strengthened protections for stakeholders.

Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan, a $16.2 billion, five-year investment through 2028, underpins the proposals and modernization efforts. It is structured to meet an anticipated 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of new energy demand by 2032, while supporting broader economic and community development goals. Ameren Missouri, which serves around 1.2 million electric and natural gas customers across 64 counties and over 500 communities—including the Greater St. Louis region—expects these investments to support robust growth for decades.

The company’s most recent generation strategy, laid out in its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), features a diverse portfolio of planned additions:

• Natural Gas Generation: 1,600 megawatts (MW) of new natural gas capacity by 2030, expanding to a total of 6,100 MW by 2045.
• Renewable Energy: 2,700 MW of new wind and solar by 2030, with a target of 4,200 MW by 2045.
• Battery Storage: Deployment of 1,000 MW of battery storage by 2030, scaling to 1,800 MW by 2045.
• Nuclear Energy: Plans for 1,500 MW in new nuclear generation by 2045, with continued operation of the Callaway Energy Center beyond 2044.

(For additional details, see the industry announcement.)

Through 2024, Ameren Missouri notes significant progress under the Smart Energy Plan, reporting that it has upgraded or constructed 134 substations, improved 250 miles of subtransmission lines for better storm resiliency and grid flexibility, installed 1.3 million smart meters to enhance outage detection and energy management, and added 1,700 smart switches to reduce outage durations. These improvements have already had demonstrable effects: in 2024, smart switches rapidly detected outages and automatically restored power for more than 50,000 customers during major storms, averting over 8 million minutes of potential outages (source).

Beyond energy infrastructure, the plan places strong emphasis on economic development. Businesses announced over $3.1 billion in capital investments to relocate or expand in Ameren Missouri’s territory in 2024 alone. The utility also spent nearly $2 billion with Missouri-based suppliers and contractors through its modernization initiatives, involving more than 1,200 businesses in 60 counties (details).

Company leadership, including senior directors from economic and community development, has pointed to Missouri’s low electric rates, balanced energy mix, and established reliability as key advantages for prospective and existing businesses. The filing is aimed at making clear that Missouri is open for business and ready to support new investments and local job growth.

These proposed and ongoing investments occur alongside recent regional infrastructure projects, such as the approved multistate wind-power transmission line, which will further increase energy capacity for Missouri and bolster the state’s appeal as an energy hub.

The final outcome of the utility’s Powering Missouri Growth Plan now rests with the Missouri PSC, which will evaluate the proposal for approval. If enacted, the comprehensive strategy promises to shape the future of energy provision and economic development in the Midwest. For further details, see the original announcement.