(Credit: Pixabay)Ameren Corporation has established a net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050 across all its operations in Missouri and Illinois. The company also announced its largest-ever expansion of solar and wind generation.
The clean energy expansion is included in the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) of Ameren Missouri, which sets forth Ameren Missouri's plan to transform its electricity generation portfolio over the coming decades. It takes advantage of the continued decline in the cost to build new clean energy resources.
Milestones in Ameren's net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 goal include reducing carbon emissions 50% by 2030 and 85% by 2040, based on 2005 levels. The new goals are consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
According to Ameren, advances in technology and decreasing costs for renewable energy and energy storage are making it possible to dramatically reduce carbon emissions, keeping energy affordable and reliable while strengthening environmental stewardship.
Ameren Missouri's IRP includes investment of nearly $8 billion in renewable energy over the next two decades. By 2030, the company would add 3,100 MW of renewable generation reflecting a combined investment of approximately $4.5 billion. Renewable energy would increase to a total of 5,400 MW by 2040. Investments are already underway, with the planned acquisition of two Missouri-based wind energy facilities in the next few months for approximately $1.2 billion.
Last year, Ameren announced that it spent $182 million on electric and natural gas energy efficiency programs in 2018. In terms of modernizing the electric grid, Ameren developed a smart energy plan that includes $6.3 billion in investments from 2019 through 2023 in Missouri that will, among other things, accelerate the company’s investment in smart grid technologies and renewable energy. As for Illinois, Ameren has invested $10.6 billion and implemented thousands of system reliability projects by adding new technology and fortifying the energy grid. According to Ameren, these initiatives have improved grid reliability by 20%
