Ameren Missouri supports the Missouri First Transmission Act
Crews work on the Metro South Reliability Project entailing approximately 10 miles of 138,000-volt transmission lines in St. Louis County and in the City of St. Louis.
House Bill 992 aims to allow Missouri utilities to build the electric grid of the future
Regional transmission organizations, such as the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), have the power to decide when and where most of the electric transmission projects are built in the Midwest. Despite this power, federal law includes a mechanism allowing states to assert more control over these decisions and these projects. While many of Missouri's neighboring states have laws in place to exercise this type of authority, legislation would need to be passed by lawmakers in the Show-Me State to grant Missouri, not out-of-state entities, this same decision-making ability.
To help ensure investor-owned electric utilities and other current transmission asset owners in Missouri have the opportunity to develop these types of transmission projects, Ameren Missouri supports House Bill 992. Commonly known as the Missouri First Transmission Act, this legislation gives existing owners of in-state transmission assets the right-of-first refusal on all transmission projects that connect to their systems and are approved by MISO or other regional transmission organizations.
As part of its Long-Range Transmission Planning (LRTP) initiative, MISO has identified 18 projects that make up phase one of its long-term plan. Of those 18 projects, three will take place in northern Missouri. According to MISO, the projects in Missouri are intended to address voltage instability, enhance connectivity, help deliver power and increase transfer levels from east-west/west-east. In states with right-of-first-refusal laws, these LRTP projects can begin as soon as they are approved by MISO, but that won't be the case in Missouri unless HB 992 is passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the governor. Without the Missouri First Transmission Act, these projects will be forced to go through a lengthy bid process that could take up to two years to complete — putting Missouri behind schedule when it comes to these important transmission projects.
"Ameren Missouri supports the Missouri First Transmission Act because this legislation is crucial to ensuring Missouri electric utilities are the architects and builders of our state's transmission projects moving forward," said Warren Wood, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs for Ameren Missouri. "As a company, we care about the property rights of our neighbors and work to keep project costs low, while continuing to invest in the communities we've served for more than 100 years."
In the Missouri House of Representatives, the legislation is sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis, R-Moberly. On the other side of the State Capitol, Sen. Rusty Black, R-Chillicothe, is sponsoring the Senate version of the Missouri First Transmission Act. While the legislation has been introduced in both chambers, it has yet to receive a legislative hearing.