Of the total, 130 are from Ameren's employee ranks and approximately 200 are line workers and tree trimmers who are under contract to Ameren. The total includes support personnel. All have joined the massive effort that is aiding electric utilities in Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi to restore electricity to millions left powerless by Hurricane Katrina.
"It didn't take us long to answer the call for help given the level of destruction across the South," says Ameren Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Thomas R. Voss. "Our employees are expert at responding to emergencies and are very committed to doing whatever they can to help so many people who have been so severely affected by this catastrophic event." Voss added that the company's response to emergencies, power outages and priority work will not be affected by crews working to help restore power in the South. Some services, such as new electric hook-ups and project work, may be delayed while crews help to restore power in the hurricane-ravaged states. "However, we know that our customers care about their fellow citizens as much as we do and that they will be understanding if there are slight delays," he said.
This decision to send yet more crews South comes on the heels of Ameren's Sept. 1 announcement that the company is creating a matching gift program for employee contributions to help victims of Hurricane Katrina. The company will match one-for-one contributions made by Ameren employees from Sept. 2, 2005, to Oct. 17, 2005, to the United Way, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities.
With assets of more than $17 billion, Ameren through its operating companies, serves 2.3 million electric and more than 900,000 natural gas customers in a 64,000-square-mile area of Illinois and Missouri.
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