Ameren Corporation today announced a $50,000 donation to America's First Great Dam Foundation in support of their efforts to build a museum in honor of the Keokuk Energy Center and dam.
"Thanks to the generosity of Ameren, we're well on the path to establish a museum that will draw visitors from across the country," said Phil Tracy, President of America's First Great Dam Foundation. "Ameren cares about community and recognizes the central role the dam plays in the life of the region."
The Keokuk Energy Center, with its renowned red 'Keokuk' sign, has been in operation since 1913. It has grown to be the widely recognized symbol of the community. In addition to the money, Ameren plans to donate numerous artifacts that were original to the dam including a portion of the original communications control panel.
"Not only is the dam an iconic structure; the clean, renewable energy it produces is an engine that drives economic investment and community improvement," said Warren Witt, director of hydro operations at Ameren Missouri.
The museum was born out of the excitement for the dam's 100th anniversary in 2013. During the celebration, more than 25,000 visitors toured the facility in just two and a half days. With a high-profile location on Main Street already established, the museum will be a great addition to downtown Keokuk.
The contribution is part of the Ameren Cares initiative, which connects Ameren with the communities it serves through charitable giving and volunteering. A key focus of Ameren Cares is partnering with nonprofit organizations to improve the quality of life in Ameren’s service territories.
"At Ameren, we believe we are only as strong as the communities we serve," said Michael Moehn, president, Ameren Missouri. "We believe stronger communities foster a better quality of life for all through improved educational opportunities and sustained economic investment."
Ameren and its co-workers share a proud history of local involvement including volunteerism and charitable contributions. In 2016, Ameren contributed nearly $7.3 million to almost 1,000 nonprofit organizations.
About Ameren Corporation
St. Louis-based Ameren Corporation powers the quality of life for 2.4 million electric customers and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area through its Ameren Missouri and Ameren Illinois rate-regulated utility subsidiaries. Ameren Illinois provides electric distribution and transmission service, as well as natural gas distribution service, while Ameren Missouri provides vertically integrated electric service, with generating capacity of over 10,200 megawatts, and natural gas distribution service. Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois develops regional electric transmission projects. Follow the company on Twitter @AmerenCorp. For more information, visit Ameren.com.
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