August 2020, a powerful wind storm known as a derecho swept through parts of the Midwest. Much of Ameren Missouri’s service territory faced strong winds and rain, resulting in 78,000 power outages across several communities. Despite the extensive damage from the storm, we restored power to 50,000 Missouri customers during the first night – thanks to our co-workers and Ameren Missouri’s investments in the Smart Energy Plan.

In Washington, Missouri, a new state-of-the-art substation and equipment will increase energy capacity allowing more businesses to grow and have reliable power. Work like this supports the community in so many ways, including the local economy. The transformers for this substation were built in Missouri, by Missourians, for the benefit of Ameren Missouri customers. The local manufacturer of these transformers, WEG Transformers, recently opened a new facility in Washington to expand operations.

LUZCO Technologies, a St. Louis-based company, was founded in 2017 as an engineering and project management company run by Venezuelan-born American, Lusnail Haberberger. Since the beginning of the Smart Energy Plan, Ameren Missouri has partnered with Haberberger and her team to complete seven large projects such as upgrading and installing new substations and power lines throughout St. Louis. Thanks to the Smart Energy Plan, LUZCO has more than doubled its staffing.