Thousands of residents in Missouri and Illinois are enjoying more reliable energy thanks to Ameren Transmission's completion of the $215 million Metro South Reliability Project.
The multiyear project, which was finished six months ahead of schedule, is part of Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan, a program designed to improve reliability and create a more resilient energy grid for customers.
"Our transmission system is a superhighway of energy," said Shawn Schukar, president, Ameren Transmission Company. "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 Metro South Reliability Project reconstructed approximately 10 miles of 138,000-volt transmission line in St. Louis County and in the City of St. Louis. The line connects infrastructure from Shrewsbury to Bella Villa and crosses the Mississippi River into Illinois. It serves large portions of St. Louis City, South County and Metro East.
"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," said Suzanne Pohlman, project manager for the Metro South Reliability Project. "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."
The project included construction of two new transmission towers on both sides of the Mississippi River. Each tower stands 294 feet tall – roughly the height of the Statue of Liberty – and weighs 500,000 pounds. The towers are connected with two transmission lines to create double circuiting. This provides a second power supply that helps prevent outages and increases energy capacity.
Watch a video of construction progress from earlier this year.
Ameren Transmission worked closely with the local neighborhoods throughout the project, including providing informational materials available in both English and Bosnian. An Ameren employee fluent in Bosnian and part of the local Bosnian community kept community members informed throughout the project. Customers experienced continuous energy service with no downtime related to the project.
