We're installing smart grid technology to improve reliability throughout the community. Among the new technology are Intellirupters, which can detect an outage on the energy delivery system and automatically reroute power quickly to restore service, sometimes in minutes, before our crews even arrive and make repairs. A smarter system is a more reliable system which means the power will be there when you need it.
As part of Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan, we are upgrading underground infrastructure to improve the power quality and energy reliability you count on every day. We are replacing aging infrastructure, setting the stage for future upgrades and preparing for growth in downtown St. Louis. Smart Energy Plan projects include creating an underground system that is more robust, efficient and operates with more automation, which in turn will decrease service interruptions.
Learn more about a downtown reliability project starting in 2019. View work zone information.
We're constantly exploring innovative ways to improve reliability during severe weather. One of the improvements includes installing composite poles that are two times stronger than our largest wood poles making energy infrastructure in rural communities even more secure. We're strategically placing the composite poles to harden the system against straight line winds and absorb much of the impact to keep wooden poles from snapping and cascading which means less repair time is needed to restore service.
Part of our dedicated plan to provide reliable energy you can count on includes replacing our aging substations with new state of the art substations built with smart technology. In some communities, new substations are being installed to meet their growing economic development needs.
To ensure the energy you need is always safe and reliable, we are replacing our aging gas infrastructure with polyethylene pipe. It's flexible, lasts longer and doesn't rust or corrode. We're also attaching a sensor wire to each pipe so we're able to determine a precise location if needed. In some communities larger gas mains are being installed to meet their growing economic development needs.