ST. LOUIS (AP) - Ameren Corp. plans to close two power plants in Illinois by the end of the year, and the utility blames the cost of complying with new pollution rules issued by the Environmental Protection Agency.
The St. Louis-based utility will shut down plants in Meredosia and Hutsonville. Ninety jobs will be eliminated, though Ameren says it is seeking to find other places where the 22 management and 68 union workers can be reassigned.
In July, EPA issued the Cross-State Air Pollution Rule that requires reductions in sulfur dioxide by 73 percent and nitrogen oxide by 54 percent from 2005 levels.
Ameren says several options to bring the plants into compliance were explored, but the costs were too high.
Ameren serves 2.4 million electric customers in Missouri and Illinois.