Ameren Missouri expanding wind generation in the Show-Me State

Company's second wind facility planned for 2020

News provided by

Oct 22, 2018, 08:45 ET

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 22, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE: AEE), announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire, after construction, a wind generation facility of up to a 157-megawatts (MW) to be located in northwest Missouri. Today's agreement, along with the previously-announced planned addition of a 400 MW wind generation facility in northeast Missouri, continues Ameren Missouri's planned growth of renewable wind energy by 2020.

"Our transition to cleaner forms of generation is building momentum," said Michael Moehn, president of Ameren Missouri. "Investing in renewable generation, with the majority in Missouri, benefits our customers and the communities we serve by keeping rates steady and increasing economic activity."

The facility, developed by EDF Renewables North America, will be located in Atchison County. When operational in 2020, energy produced by the wind facility will power an estimated 47,000 homes. This new generation will help Ameren Missouri meet its goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050, based on 2005 levels.

Ameren Missouri's planned additions will create approximately 280 jobs at the peak of construction, as well as several permanent jobs when the turbines are in service.

"Between the substantial improvements in the wind turbine technology, and declining prices, it makes a lot of sense for us to be making this significant investment," said Ajay Arora, vice president of power operations and energy management at Ameren Missouri. "As we grow renewable energy, we're also preparing smart technology upgrades for the state's energy grid. Combined, they will create long-lasting, positive impacts for our customers."

Both wind facility transactions are subject to a number of conditions, including approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission and obtaining a timely and acceptable transmission interconnection agreement from the Midcontinent Independent System Operator.

Today's announcement is the second major step in implementing Ameren Missouri's Integrated Resource Plan, a 20-year outlook that supports cleaner energy in the state. The plan is consistent with Missouri's Renewable Energy Standard passed by voters in 2008. Planned investments include approximately $1 billion to build wind generation projects in Missouri and possibly neighboring states, resulting in at least 700 MWs of new wind-generated energy by 2020. Ameren Missouri also expects to add 100 MWs of solar-generated energy over the next 10 years, with 50 MWs targeted to come online by 2025.

Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 130,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.

Forward-looking Statements
Statements in this release not based on historical facts are considered "forward-looking" and, accordingly, involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed. Although such forward-looking statements have been made in good faith and are based on reasonable assumptions, there is no assurance that the expected results will be achieved. These statements include (without limitation) statements as to future expectations, beliefs, plans, strategies, objectives, events, conditions, and financial performance. In connection with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, we are providing this cautionary statement to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. The following factors, in addition to those discussed under Risk Factors in Ameren's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017, and elsewhere in this release and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations suggested in such forward-looking statements:

regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions, and changes in regulatory policies and ratemaking determinations, such as Ameren Missouri's requested certificate of convenience and necessity for a wind generation facility and proposed renewable energy standard rate adjustment mechanism filed with the MoPSC in June 2018, and future regulatory, judicial, or legislative actions that change recovery mechanisms;
the effects of changes in federal, state, or local laws and other governmental actions, including monetary, fiscal, and energy policies;
the effects of changes in federal, state, or local tax laws, regulations, interpretations, or rates, amendments or technical corrections to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), and any challenges to the tax positions we have taken;
the effects on demand for our services resulting from technological advances, including advances in customer energy efficiency and private generation sources, which generate electricity at the site of consumption and are becoming more cost-competitive;
the cost and availability of fuel, such as ultra-low-sulfur coal, natural gas, and enriched uranium used to produce electricity; the cost and availability of purchased power, zero-emission credits, renewable energy credits, and natural gas for distribution; and the level and volatility of future market prices for such commodities and credits, including our ability to recover the costs for such commodities and credits and our customers' tolerance for any related price increases;
disruptions of the capital markets, deterioration in our credit metrics, including as a result of the implementation of the TCJA, or other events that may have an adverse effect on the cost or availability of capital, including short-term credit and liquidity;
the actions of credit rating agencies and the effects of such actions;
the construction, installation, performance, and cost recovery of generation, transmission, and distribution assets;
the effects of strategic initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures;
the impact of current environmental regulations and new, more stringent, or changing requirements, including those related to carbon dioxide and the related proposed repeal and replacement of the Clean Power Plan, other emissions and discharges, cooling water intake structures, coal combustion residuals, and energy efficiency, that are enacted over time and that could limit or terminate the operation of certain of Ameren Missouri's energy centers, increase our costs or investment requirements, result in an impairment of our assets, cause us to sell our assets, reduce our customers' demand for electricity or natural gas, or otherwise have a negative financial effect;
the impact of negative opinions of us or our utility services that our customers, legislators, or regulators may have or develop, which could result from a variety of factors, including failures in system reliability, failure to implement our investment plans or protect sensitive customer information, increases in rates, or negative media coverage;
the impact of complying with renewable energy portfolio requirements in Missouri;
labor disputes, work force reductions, future wage and employee benefits costs, including changes in discount rates, mortality tables, and returns on benefit plan assets, and other assumptions;
the inability of our counterparties to meet their obligations with respect to contracts, credit agreements, and financial instruments;
the cost and availability of transmission capacity for the energy generated by Ameren Missouri's energy centers or required to satisfy Ameren Missouri's energy sales;
legal and administrative proceedings;
the impact of cyberattacks, which could, among other things, result in the loss of operational control of energy centers and electric transmission and distribution systems and/or the loss of data, such as customer, employee, financial, and operating system information; and
acts of sabotage, war, terrorism, or other intentionally disruptive acts.

New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all of such factors, nor can it assess the impact of each such factor on the business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained or implied in any forward-looking statement. Given these uncertainties, undue reliance should not be placed on these forward-looking statements. Except to the extent required by the federal securities laws, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information or future events.

SOURCE Ameren Missouri