Limestone Ridge Project brings greater reliability to Southeast Missouri

In collaboration with Wabash Valley Power Alliance (WVPA), Ameren Transmission finished work on the Limestone Ridge Project at the end of last year, introducing a new, 15 mile, 138 kV transmission line and two substations to southeast Missouri.

“Our customers are at the center of everything we do, and this project will benefit them for decades to come,” Shawn Schukar, chairman and president of Ameren Transmission, said. “The Limestone Ridge Project is a great example of local utilities working together to transform the energy grid for future generations while investing in the communities we serve.”

The resulting reliability has benefited the region from Perry County to Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and offered additional energy capacity for local manufacturing facilities. What’s more, Ameren noted that the new infrastructure will allow for other expansions to the grid going forward.

Completed on time with local labor, more than half of the new transmission line is co-located along the existing Wabash Valley Power Alliance right-of-way. According to Mike Sauer, presiding commissioner for the Perry County Commission, the company worked to make sure the final route was informed by input from local stakeholders, and ultimately met the capacity needs of the area’s major manufacturing companies.

“As our energy needs continue to increase across the country, it is important we take critical steps now to ensure power gets where it needs to go,” Jeff Conrad, president and CEO of Wabash Valley Power Alliance, said. “This project puts our communities one step ahead to secure future reliability and economic growth.”

While work on the project itself concluded in December 2023, land restoration efforts should continue into the spring.