Key Takeaways:
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected Ameren Missouri, Ameren Illinois and Pitch Aeronautics Inc. to deliver grid upgrades expected to increase the amount of energy able to flow through existing power lines in Missouri and Illinois in two ways. The upgrades could help meet customers' growing electricity demand while improving reliability and easing the pressure of rising costs.
Pitch Aeronautics will deploy line-mounted sensors to key parts of Ameren's transmission network and apply its software across Ameren's entire transmission system. Together, these technologies use real-time and predicted weather conditions to calculate how much energy each line can safely carry. This dynamic data allows Ameren's grid operators to safely move a higher volume of electricity over existing lines when weather conditions allow, such as during mild or windy days.
Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois will also upgrade two high-voltage line segments with new, advanced, high-performance conductors. Installation of the new conductors will more than double how much power those line segments can carry in all weather conditions, year-round.
The DOE selected this group of companies to complete the grid upgrades under its Speed to Power (SPARK) initiative, which funds projects that aim to get more power out of existing transmission lines.
Together, these upgrades are expected to reduce congestion on transmission lines, which can be costly and impact reliability, and make it easier for new sources of power generation to connect to the energy grid. Grid congestion happens when transmission capacity isn't sufficient to transport lower-cost electricity to customers. As a result, grid operators are forced to supply energy from local power plants, which can be more expensive depending on the situation.
A key part of the project is capturing the existing system baseline and the performance impact of the technology. Project results are reported to the DOE.
"Ameren is working to deploy grid-enhancing technologies that will economically help us continue delivering the reliable energy our customers depend on," said Shawn Schukar, chairman and president of Ameren Transmission. "We expect this project will help us optimize the performance of our existing transmission system and deliver greater value to our customers. But grid enhancing technologies like these cannot entirely replace the need for new transmission infrastructure. Meeting our region's long-term energy needs will require both maximizing the capacity of existing transmission lines and building new transmission projects that expand the grid."
"SPARK is game-changing," said Ian Gibson, COO and co-founder of Pitch Aeronautics. "Working alongside Ameren, we'll deploy weather-based line ratings to enhance the capabilities of more than 8,000 miles of transmission lines in Missouri and Illinois. That should unlock more capacity across the network, improve reliability, and increase access to the lower-cost sources of electricity across the region for customers."
In total, SPARK is providing $1.9 billion of federal funding to 31 grid-improvement projects across 26 states. Project funding recipients are projected to implement projects that will benefit approximately 100 million Americans.
More information about SPARK is available on the DOE's website.
About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.5 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 67,700-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric transmission and distribution service and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Missouri provides electric generation, transmission and distribution services, as well as natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops, owns and operates rate-regulated regional electric transmission projects in the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, Inc. For more information, visit Ameren.com, or follow us at @AmerenCorp, Facebook.com/AmerenCorp, or LinkedIn.com/company/Ameren.
About Pitch Aeronautics
Pitch Aeronautics is a leading Dynamic Line Rating provider based in Boise, Idaho. Pitch's technology helps electric utilities move more power over existing lines, improve reliability and reduce wildfire risk. It pairs drone-installed, line-mounted weather stations with machine learning weather forecasts tailored to utilities. Its technology is deployed across multiple U.S. utilities. For more information, visit https://www.pitchaero.com.
SOURCE Ameren Corporation
