Ameren Missouri., a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, has filed an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission to build an 800-megawatt simple-cycle natural gas energy center to serve as a reliable backup source of energy, ready to use when customers need it most.
The Castle Bluff Energy Center is designed to bolster grid reliability and would be used to deliver energy on the hottest summer days, and the coldest winter nights, and complement the increasing amount of renewable energy generation being added to the grid.
Timely regulatory approval
Castle Bluff represents a potential investment of approximately $900 million
Castle Bluff represents a potential investment of approximately $900 million. The identified site already has existing infrastructure and transmission line access, reducing overall construction time and cost to customers. With timely regulatory approval, construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with the energy center expected to be ready to serve customers in 2027.
"Customers across the state count on the reliable, affordable energy Ameren Missouri provides around the clock, and Castle Bluff will be one of the ways we're going to be able to meet their needs in the future," said Mark Birk, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri.
Levels of renewable energy
Birk added: "The on-demand energy Castle Bluff will provide will also help support the higher levels of renewable energy we're integrating in the coming years."
Having flexible backup energy sources, including Castle Bluff, will not only help with energy reliability, especially in the winter, but will also create hundreds of construction jobs, several permanent jobs and additional tax revenue for the region.