Ameren Missouri has installed more than 1,500 smart switches across the state through the Smart Energy Plan. Smart switches are pole-mounted devices designed to rapidly detect outages and reroute power. This equipment acts as an electronic first responder, keeping the lights on for more customers while crews in the field assess and repair damage. In 2024, these devices helped avoid more than 36,000 outages during significant storms, the equivalent of preventing more than four million minutes of customer outages. Pictured here is a smart switch being installed in the historic Frenchtown neighborhood of St. Charles.

In May 2024, a severe weather outbreak that included several tornadoes damaged more than 90 wooden utility poles in southeastern Missouri. Ameren Missouri is working to reduce the impact of pole damage by storm-hardening the system through the Smart Energy Plan. By strategically adding stronger composite poles and super storm poles, a fortified type of composite pole, we can guard against the cascading effect where one broken pole drags others down with it. One such project in Morehouse, Missouri, is storm-hardening more than 6 miles of lines with super storm poles, composite poles, and air flow spoilers.

Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan supports communities throughout its service territory with more than just reliable power. By using local suppliers, the company is committed to sourcing local materials and equipment built in Missouri, by Missourians, for Missourians. One of the transformers installed at a new substation in Franklin County didn’t have far to travel. It was manufactured by WEG Transformers USA of Washington, Missouri – just 3 miles north of the substation site. The new substation in Franklin County will support reliability for more than 2,700 homes and businesses in the area. Additionally, the project will help relieve the load on four other substations in the area, creating the flexibility to support an additional 14,000 customers — including WEG.