Substation upgrade supports reliability in Scott County
Smart Energy Plan project designed to strengthen service for more than 1,000 customers
Ameren Missouri is upgrading aging electric infrastructure in Scott County to support reliability for homes, farms and businesses in the area. As a part of the project, the company is constructing a new substation between Benton and Sikeston, replacing equipment that has served the area for more than 60 years. The new substation includes smart technology upgrades engineered to automatically restore power during an outage, supporting faster restoration for customers compared to the aging, manually operated equipment.
Crews work to set Missouri-made equipment at the new substation in Scott County.
The upgraded substation is expected to support reliability for more than 1,000 customers in the area. It also adds capacity to meet evolving local energy needs, including powering several new grain dryers that support Missouri farmers and strengthen the region’s agricultural economy.
“Reliable energy is vital for families, farms and businesses across southeast Missouri,” said Sen. Jamie Burger, R-Benton. “This new equipment will help ensure that we have the power we need to continue growing the crops that feed our families and fuel our local economy.”
Additional project benefits include:
Modern reliability: New smart switch technology can quickly detect problems and reroute power to reduce outage impacts.
Support for local agriculture: Added capacity will help serve new grain-drying equipment and the farms that depend on it.
Stronger storm performance: Related power line upgrades include stronger composite poles designed to limit cascading damage and support faster restoration after severe weather.
Missouri-made equipment: Major components for the project were manufactured in Missouri, including switchgears from nVent in Fulton and a transformer from WEG Transformers USA in Washington.
The new substation is expected to be energized and serving customers before the end of 2026.
The Scott County project is part of Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan, an ongoing effort to strengthen and modernize the electric grid for customers throughout the company's footprint. Through the plan, Ameren Missouri has upgraded nearly 150 substations and storm-hardened more than 300 miles of overhead lines, including recent projects in southeast Missouri communities such as Cape Girardeau, Scott City and Morehouse.
To learn more about Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan and its efforts to create a resilient and reliable electric grid, please visit AmerenMissouri.com/plan.