Ameren Missouri claims a new efficiency plan in place for Missouri will save consumers $500 million over the next 20 years. A news release published Friday states the three-year plan will be the largest energy efficiency plan in the state's history. Ameren will spend $145 million in three years beginning in January 2013 and will save 800 million kilowatt-hours. That is approximately the annual power consumption of around 60,000 homes in Missouri.
Here's how Ameren will help Missouri customers.
Previous Programs
The St. Louis Business Journal reports the previous efficiency program cost $70 million and saved 550 million kilowatt-hours. The success of that program went from 2009 to 2011. The new program will help as many as 1.2 million Missourians, the customer base of Ameren's electrical grid.
New Program
The aim of the program is to help Missouri homes and businesses become more energy efficient by giving rebates for purchasing appliances that use less electricity. The program will also help Missourians purchase new lighting in their homes and might reduce electrical costs by 40 percent. Lighting upgrades in large buildings can save companies thousands of dollars in costs.
The Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act will reimburse Ameren's participation in the reimbursement program. This is the first time Ameren will get approval from the state for its energy efficiency costs under the new state-endorsed program.
Ameren Statistics
Ameren owns the only commercial nuclear power station in Missouri. Located in Callaway County, the nuclear reactor provides energy to about 780,000 households per year and has been in existence since 1984. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports Ameren's nuclear facility generates 1,190 megawatts in Fulton. The utility recently applied for a 20-year license for the current plant in December. The nuclear reactor is located in central Missouri.
The utility company came into controversy last year when it applied for an exemption to Missouri law that needed approval from the General Assembly. Ameren wanted to charged customers for a multimillion dollar feasibility study to ascertain whether or not a second nuclear reactor at the same site would be warranted. The Post-Dispatch further reported that the utility plans on asking for the approval in 2012 after it failed in 2011. Part of the controversy also stemmed from nuclear reactor concerns after the massive earthquake and tsunami in Japan that crippled a nuclear plant in the northern part of that country.
Ameren covers 63 counties and 500 towns. The company has 126,000 natural gas customers. It is the largest utility company in Missouri, based in St. Louis.
William Browning, a lifelong Missouri resident, writes about local and state issues for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Born in St. Louis, Browning earned his bachelor's degree in English from the University of Missouri. He currently resides in Branson.
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