Ameren Missouri recently filed an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission that involves the construction of an 800-megawatt simple-cycle natural gas energy center complemented by Ameren Missouri's first large-scale battery storage facility at one location in Jefferson County, Missouri.
With timely regulatory approval, the energy center will be ready to serve as a reliable backup source of energy for customers in 2028, the investor-owned utility said.
The natural gas portion of the Big Hollow Energy Center will be designed to deliver energy on the coldest winter days, hottest summer afternoons and back up the grid when renewable energy generation is otherwise unavailable.
Co-located on the site will be Ameren Missouri's first large-scale lithium-ion battery installation.
The planned 400-MW battery storage is a fast-acting asset, ready in moments to support customers' energy needs.
Ameren Missouri recently announced an acceleration of battery storage capacity, with a total of 1,000 MW planned by 2030 and a total of 1,800 MW by 2042.
The natural gas generation and battery storage facilities will operate independently while taking advantage of existing energy infrastructure on land Ameren Missouri already owns, reducing construction time and cost to customers, the utility said.
The identified site has existing infrastructure and transmission line access, reducing overall construction time.
