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Ameren Missouri announced 500 megawatts (MW) of new solar generation, representing a total investment of approximately $950 million, are now online and serving customers.
The three facilities are the 200-MW Huck Finn Renewable Energy Center, the 150-MW Boomtown Renewable Energy Center and the 150-MW Cass County Renewable Energy Center.
Both the Cass County and Boomtown facilities will serve Ameren Missouri’s Renewable Solutions program. Organizations from across Missouri signed up to take part in the program, increasing their use of renewable energy and supporting its development in the region. As part of the program, participating organizations will also receive renewable energy credits.
Ameren Missouri is also working toward the construction of additional new sources of energy. In 2027, an 800-MW simple-cycle natural gas energy center is expected to be ready to serve as a backup source of energy. The Castle Bluff Energy Center represents an investment of approximately $900 million, and its proposed site previously hosted the coal-fired Meramec Energy Center, which Ameren closed in 2022. The utility owns the property and already has existing infrastructure and transmission line access, reducing the construction costs of the project, Ameren said. Pending regulatory approval, construction would begin in 2026.
Last October, Ameren released its 2023 Integrated Resource Plan, which included investments in natural gas, renewables and battery storage. Highlights included:
- Moving back the previously announced addition of a combined-cycle energy center to 2033. This 1,200 MW facility is now scheduled to go in service following the retirement of the Sioux Energy Center in 2032.
- Accelerating Ameren Missouri’s planned renewable energy additions by four years. The company plans to add 4,700 MW of new renewable energy by 2036. This represents a total potential investment of approximately $9.5 billion. The company maintains its goal of 2,800 MW by 2030.
- Adding 800 MW of battery storage, including 400 MW by 2030 – five years earlier than previously planned – with an additional 400 MW of battery storage by 2035. This represents a total potential investment of $1.3 billion through 2035.
- Planning 1,200 MW of clean, on-demand generation to be ready to serve customers in 2040 and an additional 1,200 MW by 2043.
