Ameren Missouri's Osage Energy Center generated more renewable electricity last month than any other May in its 86 year history. Final production numbers just came in and the energy center, located at Bagnell Dam, produced 168,218 megawatt hours in May.
Enough energy was produced at Osage Energy Center in May to power nearly 153,000 average homes for the month.
"To put that in perspective, the energy produced could power every home in Cole County for more than two years; every home in Cape Girardeau County for more than two years; and is equivalent to the number of households in St. Charles County," said Warren Witt, director of hydro operations at Ameren Missouri.
Since Osage began generating renewable energy in 1931, the May 2017 energy production is the second highest monthly total in the energy center's history, eclipsed only by generation in January 2016.
"All the credit goes to the hard-working men and women who keep the generating units running efficiently and reliably each and every day," said Witt. "Osage Energy Center and Bagnell Dam are vital to Ameren Missouri's commitment to powering the quality of life for more than 1.2 million customers in the state."
This spring, Ameren Missouri launched a $52 million project to maintain Bagnell Dam. Construction crews are installing a series of new anchors and concrete on the downstream side of the dam. The approximately 18-month project consists of three parts: new post-tension anchors will further secure the dam to the underlying bedrock; concrete will be added between the highway piers to add weight to the dam; and a new concrete overlay will replace weathered concrete on the east and west sections.
"This is the largest, most visible project we've done at the dam in more than 30 years," Witt said. "Projects like this will keep Bagnell Dam and the Osage Energy Center in top shape and able to provide record-breaking, clean energy, for decades to come."
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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 at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.