ST. LOUIS, Oct. 17, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- There will soon be more places to recharge your car batteries around Missouri. Today, Ameren Missouri, a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation (NYSE:AEE), received Missouri Public Service Commission approval for the program that will bring more electric vehicle charging stations to the Ameren Missouri service territory. It's the latest component of the $11 million investment Ameren Missouri Charge Ahead program to encourage adoption of electric vehicles.
Starting early next year, business owners can apply for incentives to offset construction costs of electric vehicle charging stations.
"More and more electric vehicles are revving up on roads across Missouri. Now is the time to invest in the critical infrastructure to support this trend," said Pat Justis, Ameren Missouri manager of efficient electrification development. "Bringing more charging stations across our area will help increase adoption of electric vehicles and that means a cleaner and brighter energy future for our customers."
The program consists of two distinct pieces:
Charging for long-distance travel
Approved earlier this year, long-distance travel stations will be conveniently located near highways for long road trips. Ameren Missouri expects to open the first of 11 charging stations by the end of 2019 with all stations complete by the end of 2020. Each station will have two DC Fast Chargers and two Level II chargers.
Charging for local travel
Ameren Missouri will provide financial support to help local businesses, including workplaces, multi-family residences and public areas, add electric vehicle charging stations. During the three-year program period, Ameren Missouri expects to assist with 1,000 local-level charging stations at more than 350 locations throughout the area. The local charging stations may be either Level II or DC Fast Charging.
"This is the beginning of a bigger vision," said Justis. "The communities we serve and everyone in Missouri stand to benefit from a cleaner environment with emission-free vehicles, and Ameren Missouri is leading the way through programs such as this."
The Edison Electric Institute estimates that by 2030, one in every five car sales will be an electric car. This means that the one million electric cars on the road nationwide today will reach 18.7 million in the next decade. Auto manufacturers are supporting electric vehicles with new models as well. The Electric Power Research Institute forecasts models of electric vehicles will jump from 40 today to 130 by 2022. To support all of these new cars, two million public charging stations will be needed nationwide compared to the 100,000 that are available today.
Ameren Missouri has established carbon reduction goals, including cutting carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050, compared to 2005 levels. Transitioning the transportation sector to electric technology can dramatically lower carbon emissions.
Ameren Missouri continues to look for newer, better and cleaner ways to keep busy lives moving. As a part of the Charge Ahead program, Ameren Missouri is exploring the benefits of using technology that may help customers automatically charge their electric vehicles at times when the electric grid has the lowest associated emissions.
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 1.2 million electric and 127,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.
SOURCE Ameren Missouri
