Smart Energy Plan supporters testify in legislative committee hearings
More than a dozen businesses, organizations, and investor-owned utilities testified in support of energy policy legislation on Feb. 23. The proposals under review would extend and expand the 2018 law which enabled Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan.
Ameren Missouri chairman and president Mark Birk testified in support of SB 756 before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment. At the same time, Warren Wood, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs was testifying in support of HB 1734 before the House Utilities Committee. Sen. Bill White (R-32, Joplin) and Rep. Michael O'Donnell (R-95, St. Louis) are sponsoring SB 756 and HB 1734, respectively.
In total, committee members heard from 20 proponent witnesses in support of this important energy policy legislation. Supporters included statewide business organizations such as the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Missouri Economic Development Council (MEDC), the Missouri Energy Development Association (MEDA), the Electrical Board of Missouri and Illinois, Greater St. Louis, Inc. and Missouri's investor-owned electric utilities.
A number of businesses testified in support of the legislation, many of which manufacture products or provide services and labor that support the installation of Smart Energy Plan projects around the state.
Two of those suppliers are BBC Electric, headquartered in Joplin, and Hitachi Energy (formerly ABB), which has a large manufacturing plant in Jefferson City located just across the river from the state Capitol.
“The Smart Energy Plan has been an absolute game-changer for BBC Electric,” said James Farrar, BBC Electric, which has roughly grown from 100 to 200 employees in the last two to three years. “It took our company to a whole new level.”
“As a supplier, as an employer, and as a customer to Ameren Missouri we have seen the full benefits of the Smart Energy Plan from all angles,” said Mark Hemmann, Hitachi Energy. Hitachi employs approximately 1,000 people in Missouri and continues to seek out local talent.
"Thanks to the Smart Energy Plan, we have been able to replace aging infrastructure and invest in a more resilient, reliable and sustainable energy system for our customers," said Mark Birk, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri. "These are changes that many of our customers can see today. With thousands of upgrades completed, we've improved reliability by up to 40% where we have installed smart switches. And our customers will continue to see improvements as more upgrades are completed across our 24,000-square-mile system."
During the first three years of the Smart Energy Plan, Ameren Missouri has completed more than two thousand energy grid projects. In addition to improving reliability for customers, the Smart Energy Plan has created jobs and benefited the more than 500 Missouri communities served by Ameren Missouri. But with only two years remaining on the approved five-year Smart Energy Plan, legislation is required to renew and expand the plan to ensure its benefits to customers continue.
Ameren Missouri filed its annual Smart Energy Plan update with the Missouri Public Service Commission on Feb. 18. A virtual, public meeting will be held on March 7 to gain public input regarding the plan.
Learn more about the impact of the Smart Energy Plan in this video: The Ameren Missouri Smart Energy Plan-Creating jobs throughout the state of Missouri and by visiting AmerenMissouri.com/SmartEnergyPlan.