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ST. LOUIS (April 23, 2025) – Spring is here, and with it comes higher instances of strong storms throughout the region. Ameren crews prepare year-round for severe weather by maintaining an aggressive community tree trimming program, while also upgrading energy grid infrastructure with stronger lines and utility poles to prepare for potential severe storms.

In addition to Ameren preparing for spring weather, customers can also help mitigate any storm-related outages by clearing overgrown vegetation and inspecting tree limbs on their property before severe weather impacts their neighborhood.

“Spring storms can bring high winds, heavy rain, and lightning – all of which can cause trees and branches to fall onto power lines, potentially leading to outages and creating life-threating safety hazards,” said Amy Werner, manager of vegetation at Ameren. “Tree trimming and vegetation control happens year-round in our communities so we can stay prepared and mitigate issues when severe weather does impact our region.”

Reliability efforts to prepare for storm season

• Ameren maintains and trims vegetation each year along more than 13,000 miles of power lines in Missouri and Illinois.
• In 2025, crews are concentrating their efforts in neighborhoods that have are more susceptible to tree-related outages, while also increasing trimming by 500 miles this year.
• Crews are utilizing a variety of methods and equipment to trim vegetation, including specialized tree trimming machinery with saws that can trim faster and more efficiently.
• Ameren's Smart Energy Plan includes storm hardening upgrades such as stronger power lines and composite utility poles, along with smart switches that have helped reduced outages during storms.
• Drone teams are being utilized to inspect miles of power lines and equipment to assist with identifying areas that need immediate attention.

To ensure safety and reliability, Ameren trims trees and clears brush on rights-of-way and easements along main power lines. But customers are responsible for keeping trees properly maintained along their service drop – the line that runs from the main power line to the home.

Ameren encourages customers to take the following steps to prevent unnecessary safety risks or outages this spring:

• Inspect your property: Check for trees and branches that are getting too close to power lines and equipment, along with signs of damage or overgrowth that could pose a risk during storms.
• Report hazards: If you see any trees or branches that are touching or are dangerously close to power lines, avoid coming into contact with them and report it to Ameren. To request a temporary disconnection for vegetation management, or to report hazards in your area, call Ameren Missouri at 800-552-7583.
• Contact professionals: If tree limbs or vegetation are close to your service line (the line running from the utility pole to your house), contact a qualified line clearance tree contractor. The service line is a homeowner's responsibility to maintain. For a list of certified arborists in your area, visit the International Society of Arboriculture's website. Some local municipalities, as well as nonprofit organizations may offer financial assistance and/or tree removal for qualifying individuals.
• Get your power disconnected: If you need tree service performed near your service drop, contact Ameren to have your service disconnected so the work can be completed safely.

“While proactive tree trimming is important to staying ahead of weather-related issues, it's also equally important for us to strengthen our energy delivery system with stronger lines and poles, said Matt Tosh, division operations director, Ameren Missouri. "Over the last five years, we have installed more than 1,700 smart switches, which have resulted in saving our customers nearly 50 million minutes in outages."

Customers can learn more about vegetation management and get tips for safer tree trimming in their communities by visiting Ameren Missouri's vegetation online program pages.

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 100,000 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.