Smart Energy Plan drives economic development in southeast Missouri

In late 2025, Amazon opened a $15 million last-mile delivery station in Scott City. The investment brings 70 new jobs to the area and will help boost delivery to rural areas in the region. The Amazon facility is the first development to open in the new SEMO Industrial Park. The 380-acre site offers prime access to major transportation routes like Interstate 55, Cape Girardeau Regional Airport, and the Southeast Missouri Regional Port Authority.

Ameren Missouri tapped its Smart Energy Plan to help support the reliability needs of the new industrial park. Crews built a new, storm-hardened power line that will serve the park and its businesses. The project included the addition of a mile of new overhead line built with composite poles at strategic intervals. These stronger poles are designed to anchor the system and limit damage , supporting faster restoration in the event of an outage. The new infrastructure will position Amazon and the SEMO Industrial Park for success for many years to come.

“Reliable power is a driving force for growth and economic development,” says Shad Burner, CEO of SEMO REDI, a regional economic development group. “Ameren Missouri’s efforts to modernize and strengthen the electric grid support our goal of attracting businesses, jobs and investment throughout the southeast Missouri region.”

The work was carried out on an aggressive schedule to ensure the facility could open as expected. It’s far from the only electric upgrade supporting the area. Also in 2025, crews rebuilt nine miles of subtransmission lines and seven miles of distribution lines serving Scott City. The rebuilt subtransmission line includes not only composite poles but also specialized T-2 wire. This steel-reinforced conductor is designed to reduce galloping that occurs when smaller wires are tossed about in the strong southeast Missouri winds.

“Wind and ice can be big challenges for reliability of the grid here in southeast Missouri,” said Russ Burger, director of Ameren’s Southeast Missouri division. “On a windy day, you can literally see the difference. Where we’ve upgraded to T-2 wire, the lines are barely moving. That's how the Smart Energy Plan helps ensure our customers are better protected from the impacts of severe weather.”

Upgrades to the subtransmission and distribution lines feeding Scott City will support increased reliability for more than 4,500 residents and businesses. Similar T-2 wire upgrades were completed in 2023, supporting commerce and shipping activities at SEMO Port in Scott City.