Ameren Transmission completes work on $215M Metro South Reliability Project
Speeding six months ahead of schedule and under budget, Ameren Transmission Company finished work this week on the $215 million Metro South Reliability Project, meant to bring greater reliability to the energy system in Missouri and Illinois alike.
“Our transmission system is a superhighway of energy,” Shawn Schukar, president of Ameren Transmission Company, said. “Thanks to this project’s smart grid technology, customers on both sides of the river will benefit from a more robust system delivering safe, affordable, reliable and cleaner energy.”
The project spanned multiple years of work and included a rebuild of approximately 10 miles of 138,000-volt transmission line in St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis. That line crosses the Mississippi River, providing power to both Illinois and Mississippi, including large portions of St. Louis, South County and Metro East. In fact, Ameren stated that it should improve energy reliability for around 100,000 homes and businesses in the region.
“This major investment in energy infrastructure provides great value to our customers by increasing energy supply capacity, incorporating smart technology and improving reliability, all while bringing cleaner energy sources to homes and businesses,” Suzanne Pohlman, project manager for the Metro South Reliability Project, said. “By bolstering the grid with needed upgrades, this project also enables a seamless transition for customers as we retire the Meramec Energy Center at the end of this year.”
Construction was anchored by two new transmission towers on both sides of the Mississippi River. Twin transmission lines were strung between them to create double circuiting, offering a second power supply in case of outages, while also increasing general capacity. The rollout was also part of Ameren Missouri’s larger Smart Energy Plan, which includes deployment of more solar energy, updates to infrastructure, smart meters and more over the coming years.
