Ameren looks to clean energy to meet increasing demands
CALLAWAY, Mo. (KCTV) - As AI and data centers become more prominent, Americans are using more energy than ever. The increased demand for energy has Missouri’s biggest energy company looking to clean energy for the future.
Ameren’s Nuclear power plant in Callaway produces enough power for 800,000 households. But as Missouri’s demand for energy increases, they’re looking for ways to increase the amount of output in clean energy sources, such as nuclear.
Ameren predicts it will need to generate an extra 1.5 gigawatts of energy over the next 7 years; that is enough for another 1.5 million homes. The International Energy Agency credits the increased demand to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Ameren produces energy for 1.3 million Missourians using all kinds of methods, but there is only one place that produces nuclear energy for Missouri. That’s the Callaway Nuclear Energy Center. Site manager Travis Hart said it’s one of the cleanest ways to produce energy.
“This is a way to expand our baseload generation in an environmentally friendly manner,” Hart said.
When Missouri was selected to host a national nuclear summit, Gov. Mike Kehoe expressed his for expansion.
“Missouri’s current nuclear fleet consists of a single reactor at the Callaway Energy Center, which generates 14% of in-state electricity,” Kehoe said. “Expansions to Missouri’s nuclear capacity will make a meaningful contribution to the United States’ energy dominance, increase regional grid reliability, and provide a steady supply of alternative fuels that will empower private industry to meet their energy goals and reduce reliance on energy imports.”
Hart said Ameren hopes to make improvements without too much of an impact on consumers.
“We also have to think about our people, the s at home, that have to pay a bill at the end of the month,” Hart said. “So, we gotta make sure that we don’t sacrifice that as we bring this in.”
Ameren is currently asking for a rate increase for recent maintenance that would increase the average customer’s bill by $17 a month. The Public Service Commission is considering the increase.
A new Missouri law allows energy companies to request rate increases for work that is yet to be completed. The Consumer Council of Missouri said it could increase utility rates as companies charge customers for projects they may never see the final results of. The law goes into effect August 28.
Copyright 2025 KCTV. All rights reserved.
