Electric service to Ameren Missouri customers in three central Missouri communities is becoming more dependable thanks to the addition of "smart" switches along area power lines.
The $400,000 project includes the installation of a total of six Viper "smart" switches in Hermann, Berger and Eldon and their surrounding areas. The switches, also known as reclosers, improve service reliability through their ability to automatically assess and swiftly isolate power line problems in order to minimize the number of customers affected.
"This project demonstrates our ongoing commitment to improving the reliability of our electrical system," said Ralph "Chip" Webb, director of the Ameren Missouri Central Ozarks Division. "We're working to minimize long-duration outages for our customers in these three communities by installing Viper switches with remote switching capacity."
Work on installing a switch near Boy Scout Road in Hermann and another along 1st Street in Berger is currently under way. About 330 Ameren Missouri customers will benefit from that $130,000 portion of the project, scheduled to be completed by the end of June.
Ameren Missouri finished installing four Viper switches in the Eldon area in early May, at an approximate cost of $270,000. Those switches, installed along Midway Road, Godfrey Ave and West 4th St, serve about 2,125 customers.
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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 please visit AmerenMissouri.com or follow Ameren Missouri on Facebook or Twitter.