Ameren planning upgrades in region

Ameren Missouri is planning a series of infrastructure upgrades to improve reliability and meet growing demand for electricity in the Cape Girardeau region.

The program is called the Cape Girardeau Electric Reliability Program and includes constructing two new substations and new transmission lines.

A recent analysis performed by Ameren showed a need for infrastructure improvements "in order to ensure safe, reliable power to adequately meet future electricity requirements of the region," according to the program website.

The two new substations, Hitt and Heritage, will be built on Ameren-owned land south of Route K and east of County Road 381, between Cape Girardeau and Gordonville. Construction is expected to begin in late 2014 or early 2015 and wrap up in May 2016.

A new 12.5-mile, 345-kilovolt transmission line will be constructed between the Lutesville Substation, near the intersection of Routes U and A, and the new Heritage Substation. A smaller, 1.5-mile segment of 161 kV transmission line also will be built to link Fredericktown Substation to Heritage.

The second major line will be constructed to replace the inadequate line serving the Cape Clark Substation. As part of the project, a new 6-mile, 34.5-kV subtransmission line will connect the Cape Clark and Hitt substations. The line also will provide a secondary source of electricity for Saint Francis Medical Center. Utility poles in the area will be upgraded to accommodate the new circuit.

The project also calls for supplementary improvements to the Cape Clark, Wedekind, Cape, Lutesville and Viaduct substations to improve reliability and accommodate the new circuits.

No one from Ameren was available for comment Thursday.

Anyone with questions may contact Ameren Missouri at missouricommunications@ameren.com or 844-299-8129. Information also is available at ameren.com/cgerp.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Gordonville, Mo.