Lewistown electric grid benefits from reliability upgrades
Smart Energy Plan project includes new smart switches and stronger power poles
Ameren Missouri customers in Lewistown are set to benefit from upgrades to the area's electric grid designed to support increased reliability. Much of the town's energy infrastructure is more than 60 years old, and its wood-frame substation is one of the oldest on Ameren Missouri's system — some components date back as far as 1942.
As a part of the project, smart switches and new power poles are set to support increased reliability in Lewistown.
Due to its age, this equipment poses a safety and reliability risk to the area's electric grid. To address this need, Ameren Missouri is deploying several upgrades through its Smart Energy Plan to modernize Lewistown's electric grid and bolster reliability in the area. Some of the improvements include:
Upgrade aging equipment: This project will eliminate an aging substation and equipment that is more than 80 years old. Poles and wires, many of which are more than 60 years old, will also be rebuilt with new, stronger materials.
Dual-transformer design: The new, dual-transformer design creates two sources of power and the ability to switch between them to quickly restore power to the community.
Smart power restoration: Smart switch devices can rapidly detect a problem on the grid and automatically restore power to more customers by switching to another power source. These devices were added to both the subtransmission and distribution lines in Lewistown.
Storm-hardened materials: Composite poles, which are stronger and more flexible than wood poles, have been added in Lewistown to increase storm resilience.
Modern service: The entire town will be upgraded from 4-kilovolt (kV) service to 12 kV, providing more capacity and operational flexibility when switching between power sources.
“This is a truly transformational infrastructure project for this area, and it really highlights how our customers benefit from Smart Energy Plan upgrades,” said Ken Worland, division director for Ameren’s Northeast Missouri division. “These improvements mean the community will hopefully experience fewer interruptions, quicker restorations and a system built for long-term reliability.”
These upgrades will support greater reliability for nearly 400 customers in the Lewistown area. Crews are working to place the new infrastructure in service by summer 2026. For more information on Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan and how it is working to create a more resilient and reliable energy grid, please visit AmerenMissouri.com/plan.