Ameren Missouri outlines least-cost approach to reliably meet customer needs through its Integrated Resource Plan

Long-term energy plan focuses on meeting customers' rising needs and expectations

On Tuesday, Sept. 26, Ameren Missouri announced its updated, 20-year plan to provide reliable, affordable and resilient energy to its customers. The plan calls for investments in new, on-demand energy sources to ensure the long-term stability of the energy grid and accelerated deployment of renewable energy generation.

Ameren Missouri's Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is designed to meet the projected energy needs of its customers in an increasingly electrified future. It includes a balanced mix of energy sources to support continued reliability for customers throughout the company's service territory.

 

Through the IRP, Ameren Missouri is working to create a stronger and more modern energy grid to meet today's energy challenges and better anticipate those of tomorrow.

 

"Thoughtfully integrating a new, diverse mix of generation sources while maintaining the availability of our existing energy centers through retirement is essential for a reliable, resilient and affordable clean energy future," said Mark Birk, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri. "By making smart investments in an environmentally responsible way, we’re strengthening the energy grid without compromising on affordability."

Highlights of the 2023 IRP:

  • Deploying an 800-megawatt (MW) on-demand, natural gas simple-cycle energy center by 2027, representing a potential investment of $800 million, to provide backup power at times of peak winter and summer energy demand.

  • Moving back the previously announced addition of a combined-cycle energy center to 2033. This 1,200-MW facility is now scheduled to go in service following the retirement of the Sioux Energy Center in 2032.

  • Accelerating Ameren Missouri's planned renewable energy additions by four years. The company plans to add 4,700 MW of new renewable energy by 2036. This represents a total potential investment of approximately $9.5 billion. The company maintains its goal of 2,800 MW by 2030.

  • Adding 800 MW of battery storage, including 400 MW by 2030 – five years earlier than previously planned – with an additional 400 MW of battery storage by 2035. This represents a total potential investment of $1.3 billion through 2035.

  • Planning 1,200 MW of clean, on-demand generation to be ready to serve customers in 2040 and an additional 1,200 MW by 2043.

"Our strategic investments are timed to keep rates as low as possible for our customers while making efficient system upgrades to provide clean, reliable and affordable energy for the long-term," said Ajay Arora, senior vice president and chief renewable development officer at Ameren Missouri.

Since last updating Ameren Missouri's long-term plans in June 2022, the company has:

  • Retired the coal-fired Meramec Energy Center at the end of 2022.

  • Proposed a 2024 retirement of the coal-fired Rush Island Energy Center based on the projected completion date of grid reliability updates. The ultimate retirement date is subject to approval by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri.

  • Received approval to acquire, upon projected completion next year, two solar facilities with combined capacity of 350 MW.

  • Announced plans to acquire or build an additional 550 MW of solar capacity targeted to be ready to serve customers between next year and 2026.

Additionally, customers will continue to have the ability to manage their electric bills through robust, cost-effective energy efficiency and demand response programs. Between 2020 and 2022, these programs have saved more than 930,000 megawatt-hours of energy. That's equivalent to the energy used by nearly 76,000 average residential homes in a year. For more information on Ameren Missouri's plans to accelerate investments in long-term reliability for its customers, please visit AmerenMissouri.com/reliable.

Published on by Gregory Hauenstein.