Ameren Missouri line workers proudly improving their own communities

Line workers in Northeast Missouri take pride in their work, which involves keeping the lights on for Ameren Missouri customers and improving the communities in which they live. "When they're able to work in their hometowns and make upgrades that benefit their friends and neighbors, the fruit of their labor is a bit sweeter," said Matt Bryant, superintendent of electric operations in Ameren Missouri's NEMO division.

One of their latest projects will benefit more than 350 Ameren Missouri customers in Lincoln County. The project, - part of the Smart Energy Plan - includes a 6-mile stretch of new overhead lines and a half-mile of new underground line to meet growing energy needs between the towns of Elsberry and Troy.

Ameren Missouri crews are also installing new composite poles to better withstand severe weather and are adding redundancy to the system to ensure customers won't lose power if a single component should fail.

The Northeast Missouri project provides increased line capacity, including digital communication network upgrades that feature two-way communication devices. These smart equipment components work together to rapidly detect and signal outages, reroute the power and restore service automatically.

This multi-phase $9.4 million project will improve reliability for customers throughout the entire region. Phase one, started in 2019, will be completed this year. Phase two will start and finish in 2021. More upgrades are being proposed in the future.

"At the end of phase two, we'll have added redundancy to the system and greater energy security for our customers," said Bryant. "Feeder ties between the Elsberry and Auburn Substations will create a self-healing system by adding smart, automated sensors and switches that more rapidly detect and isolate outages, speeding power restoration."

See Ameren Missouri line crews at work on this project and hear from a Missouri state senator about the importance of the work these crews are doing for the communities where they work and live. Elsberry Smart Energy Plan Project video