Ameren Missouri updates 20-year energy plan with advanced net zero emissions timeframe

The clean energy transition is moving at a faster clip than Ameren Missouri first anticipated, and in its latest update to its 20-year energy plan, the company announced accelerated clean energy additions and a bumped up net-zero carbon emissions goal set for 2045 rather than 2050.

Reducing the company’s long-term goals by five years is a major accomplishment. Still, Ameren noted that the need for reliable, resilient, and affordable energy has never been greater, demanding updates to its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Under the new iteration of that plan, the revised net-zero carbon emissions goal encompasses both Scope 1 and 2 emissions and ropes in other greenhouse gasses such as methane, nitrous oxide, and sulfur hexafluoride.

The plan would also see more than 3,500 MW of fossil fuel generation retired by 2030 – an increase of more than 1,600 MW over what Ameren’s 2020 IRP sought. Some 2,800 MW of clean wind and solar generation will be rolled out to replace them by 2030. This will balloon to an approximately $7.5 billion investment of 4,700 MW of renewable generation by 2040.

“Our newly updated long-term energy plan accelerates the addition of clean wind and solar energy sources and further reduces emissions by 2030,” Mark Birk, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri, said. The reduction target rose from 50 percent to 60 percent, based on 2005 levels. “By thoughtfully transitioning energy generation sources, we continue to get the energy we provide as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without compromising on reliability, resiliency or affordability for our customers.”

By 2031, a 1,200 MW combined-cycle energy center should enter service to make up for the retirement of the company’s three coal-fired energy centers by the end of 2030. It will be capable of using a portion of hydrogen fuels and could be retrofitted for carbon capture and storage once those technologies are more commercially viable.

Battery storage will also play a role in this changing landscape, with plans underway to invest about $650 million into 800 MW.

“We’re building upon our previous commitments to support communities across Missouri by investing billions of dollars in clean energy, creating thousands of jobs, and growing our solid base of carbon-free generation,” Ajay Arora, chief renewable development officer at Ameren Missouri, said. “Our plan relies on a broad mix of resources alongside focused energy efficiency and demand response programs, which further support families and businesses in the state by saving them money on their energy statements.”