Ameren Missouri is laying out plans for what company officials said is the largest energy efficiency program in state history.
The proposed group of programs, detailed in a filing this week with the Missouri Public Service Commission, focus on saving customers money, providing customers with more control over their energy use, adding more ways for customers to participate, and expanding programs to provide energy savings for customers most in need.
The current proposal under the Missouri Energy Efficiency Investment Act includes 26 programs with $285 million in rebates available for residential and business customers. If approved by the PSC, the programs will run from 2019-24.
“By expanding the program to six years, we’re able to include a wider range of options, including 15 new programs,” said Ameren Missouri Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables Bill Davis. “There are savings opportunities for every home and business, including specific savings for limited-income customers and social service agencies.”
Ameren Missouri’s plan calls for investments of nearly $92 million per year for the next six years on electric energy efficiency. As a result, the program intends to save 2 billion kilowatt hours of energy, further reducing carbon emissions and taking the equivalent of nearly 319,000 cars off the road.
Company officials said the energy savings opportunities provided under the proposed program are an important component of Ameren Missouri’s goal of reducing carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.
Renew Missouri, a not-for-profit group focused on renewable energy and energy efficiency policy in Missouri, has voiced support of Ameren’s filing, noting these programs expand services for residential customers with a focus on low-income apartment tenants. More advanced thermostats would be deployed that provide more information for the utility and the customer.
“This kind of technology provides not only more information to the utility so they can properly manage their resources, but also lets customers make smarter, more informed choices,” Renew Executive Director James Owen said. “That’s the only way the marketplace can truly work.”