CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Ameren Missouri has energized a new substation to support reliability and provide additional system capacity in Cape Girardeau County. The substation, located near the Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course, will serve approximately 3,400 customers in north Cape Girardeau and Jackson.
The upgraded substation is outfitted with equipment designed to automatically reduce outages and support faster restoration. The project is part of Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan, which is modernizing aging infrastructure statewide.
“Energizing this new equipment marks a significant upgrade for the local grid,” said Russ Burger, director of Ameren Missouri’s southeast Missouri division. “This new substation is an example of the impactful investments we’re making to keep the lights on for our customers.”
The project delivers multiple customer reliability benefits, including:
- More capacity: The new substation provides approximately double the capacity of the existing facility, supporting greater reliability during times of peak electric demand.
- Upgrade aging equipment: Upgrading key substation components lowers the chance of equipment-related interruptions; major components at the previous facility were more than 50 years old.
- Flood-risk mitigation: Relocating the substation to a site outside the floodplain helps reduce the potential for flood-related damage and service disruptions.
- Faster restoration with smart technology: Modern equipment can detect issues more quickly and support automatic outage restoration for customers.
- Storm-hardening upgrades: Associated line improvements, including the addition of composite poles, strengthen the system against severe weather impacts.
- Support for Missouri jobs: Key components were sourced from Missouri-based suppliers, including WEG Transformers USA and nVent.
Across the state, Ameren Missouri continues to modernize critical equipment through the Smart Energy Plan – including substation upgrades, storm-hardening projects and smart grid technology designed to prevent outages and reduce restoration times. Ameren Missouri has upgraded more than 140 substations through the Smart Energy Plan.
About Ameren Missouri
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 approximately 1.3 million electric and 135,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company’s service area covers approximately 60 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.