MBEF April 2024 Update
Greetings MBEF Members,
Happy springtime to all of you. We’ve made it through the winter and the unpredictability of March weather, so let the mowing, fertilizing, and planting begin! Here’s an update on some energy happenings in Missouri.
Drought conditions remain
Conditions have improved, but much of Missouri remains under abnormally dry conditions. Persistent drought can lead to lower stream and river flows and declining water levels in lakes and reservoirs, which lead to shallow wells and aquifers. All of this can be damaging to soil, crops, and our drinking water supply. We’ll continue to monitor as we enter the growing season.
April Storms and Showers
We know the old adage “April showers bring May flowers”, but some of these showers can be severe events with swirling winds and lightning that can wreak havoc on our electric grid. Thanks to Senate Bill 564, which passed in 2018, Missouri’s electric utilities have been able to increase their efforts to install smart meters, improve infrastructure, and replace older equipment. These investments significantly reduce the outage times that customers may experience due to storms. Underground wires, composite polls, and better technology all contribute to a much more resilient power grid.
A report from last year showed that because Missouri is right in the path of the jet stream, we are susceptible to storms that come more frequently and are more severe at times. Last summer was one of the busiest in terms of outage reports. With the improvements mentioned above, Ameren Missouri estimates 50,000 outages were saved and over 31 million minutes worth of outages were avoided. These weather patterns continually threaten our grid, but utilities have new tools like Ameren’s Mobile Command Center to help linemen efficiently and safely restore power.
If you do experience a power outage, here are some links to check on your phone, before it too loses power:
Association of Missouri Electric Cooperatives Statewide Outage Map
Outages (libertyenergyandwater.com)
Transmission Improvements for SEMO
Many of us remember the historic ice storm in 2009 that hit eastern Missouri, knocking out power to thousands from St. Louis to New Madrid. Some 4,000 poles were snapped and many customers were without power for multiple weeks. Since that event, years of investments and improvements have been in place to ensure that similar damage cannot occur again.
The Limestone Ridge Project is one such example. A new 15-mile-long transmission line with two new substations has been constructed stretching from Perry County to Cape Girardeau. These lines are more durable, more storm-resistant, and will improve reliability, provide greater capacity for manufacturing facilities, and allow for future expansion. Built with local labor, this project will serve as a current and future economic development generator for the region.
