Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation has closed on the acquisition of a 400 MW wind power project in northeast Missouri. This is the company’s first wind energy project. The asset, High Prairie Renewable Energy Center, located in Adair and Schuyler counties is the first of the company’s two planned investments in the wind power space in Missouri. The total planned capacity addition through the two assets is 700 MW.
The High Prairie Renewable Energy Center was constructed by an affiliate of Terra-Gen LLC and consists of 175 wind turbines. Ameren Missouri anticipates the energy center will produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 120,000 homes in 2021.
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years. The company’s service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. The company has recently released plans to invest approximately $4.5 billion in 3,100 MW of renewable generation by 2030. This includes $1.2 billion for the planned acquisitions of this asset and another 300 MW project in Atchison County, Missouri.
“This is just the beginning, as Ameren Missouri lays the foundation for a transformational advancement toward more renewable wind and solar generation in the coming years, cutting carbon emissions and driving job creation and economic growth,” said Marty Lyons, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri. “Ameren Missouri is committed to clean. Expanding Missouri-based wind energy generation helps us move toward our goal of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
“All of our customers, no matter where they live, are benefitting from additional clean energy on the grid as a result of this acquisition,” said Ajay Arora, chief renewable development officer at Ameren Missouri. “These turbines use some of the latest technology that harnesses more wind at an affordable price. It’s also very gratifying to see this project built in our state, where families will receive a host of economic benefits for years to come.”