Ameren Missouri plans West Alton Energy Center to bolster electric reliability

New natural gas facility would add Missouri-made, around-the-clock power to the company's generation fleet

Ameren Missouri is planning a 2,100-megawatt combined-cycle natural gas plant in West Alton, Missouri, to provide reliable power for customers across the state. If approved by regulators, the West Alton Energy Center would be built next to the company's Sioux Energy Center, making use of existing site resources and delivering additional value to customers.

Please click on the above picture to watch a video on Ameren Missouri's plans for the West Alton Energy Center.

"Customers count on reliable energy to keep their homes comfortable, care for their families, run their businesses and stay connected to the things that matter most," said Aaron Melda, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri. "The West Alton Energy Center is one way we're preparing for Missouri's future and supporting the growing needs of our communities. Missouri has seen incredible economic development wins over the past year, and we're pleased to support this growth."

The plant is designed to provide steady baseload power for customers and help reduce reliance on outside energy markets when prices increase. The facility also would complement other energy resources in Ameren Missouri's fleet that may not continuously produce electricity, supporting reliability and ensuring the energy grid remains stable.

"Projects such as the West Alton Energy Center are designed to perform under a wide range of conditions and periods of high demand," said Ajay Arora, executive vice president and chief growth and generation development officer at Ameren Missouri. "As our generation fleet evolves, this facility will add a highly efficient, Missouri-based resource that can operate 24/7 and work alongside our other resources to help maintain reliability for our customers."

Modern combined-cycle natural gas facilities are among the most efficient power plants available, producing lower emissions than older fossil-fuel generation while providing dependable electricity that supports growth and reliability. Overall, emissions from Ameren Missouri's generation fleet have dropped sharply since 2005.

Project construction is expected to create more than 1,000 jobs over several years, with about 45 permanent jobs anticipated once the plant begins operating. Ameren Missouri also expects the project to generate significant tax revenue for St. Charles County and the state, while supporting local and regional suppliers.

In a filing with the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC), Ameren Missouri said its plans for the West Alton Energy Center are designed to keep costs as low as possible for customers. The company is requesting a financing approach known as Construction Work in Progress, which would allow it to recover certain eligible costs during construction, reducing interest and other financing expenses. A 2024 State of Missouri analysis found the approach lowers project costs by millions of dollars. Project costs would remain subject to PSC review before they could be included in customer rates.

Pending timely regulatory approval, the West Alton Energy Center is expected to begin serving customers in 2031. More information is available at Ameren.com/WestAlton.