Upgrading the grid

Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan has resulted in structural improvements to electrical infrastructure in St. Louis County

By Wendy Todd

Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan has created a more reliable and efficient infrastructure to improve its service for customers, add beneficial technology and economic benefits to the region.

The utility company has performed upgrades to foundational grid infrastructure, including poles, wires, substations, transformers and cables. It has also utilized smart technology that will help reduce customer outages and provide quicker response times when they occur.

Also, in July of 2020, Ameren began in- stalling smart meters in St. Louis and St. Louis counties to provide customized energy usage data to customers, replacing outdated equipment. The new meters, equipped with two-way communication capabilities, even allow for easier service setup and relocation for residents, as a service person does not need to visit the property.

The plan, which cost $215 million to complete, began after the Missouri General Assembly passed energy policy legislation in 2018 that enabled Ameren to begin the infrastructure upgrades.

Another specific area of the Smart Energy Plan in St. Louis County was the Met- ro South Reliability project that is helping 100,000 Missouri residents utilize more reliable energy. With the construction of two new transmission towers, the project created a second power supply to help prevent outages and increase energy capacity.

The infrastructure improvements also addressed the flooding in St. Louis County last summer, helping over 9,500 customers avoid extended outages. There are ongoing upgrades to help stave off potential future flooding issues.

Mark Birk, chairman and president of

Around Town

Ameren Missouri, wants consumers to feel assured the infrastructure upgrades will provide better service that translates into a better quality of living.

“We continue to incorporate technology that improves system reliability,” he said. “Smart Energy Plan investments have prevented an estimated 50,000 customer outages over the last two years. We know that makes a difference for our customers at home and at work. With the expansion and extension of the Smart Energy Plan, we will be able to provide a more resilient, reliable and sustainable energy system for generations to come.”

One of the last projects of the Smart Energy Plan that began in 2022 is working to create more energy reliability in downtown St. Louis. When done complete, the system will be one of the first in the nation to have smart technology in a downtown environment, helping reduce outages. This multiyear project will replace century-old systems.

The energy upgrades also have financial benefits for the region.

Ameren Missouri has worked to keep energy residential rates 18% below the Midwest average. Another economic advantage of the Smart Energy Plan is the contribution to Missouri’s economy from businesses tak- ing part in Ameren’s financial incentives to move to the region or expand business here.

As a result, nearly 1,000 new jobs have been created in Missouri and over $450 million in capital investment has been made.

LHWHS student-teacher team to attend Normandy Institute

Ladue Horton Watkins High School sophomore Akhil Nadithe and social studies teacher Ashley Lock will represent Missouri at the Albert H. Small Normandy Institute in France this summer.

The pair is one of only 15 student-teacher teams selected to participate in the program, an intensive learning experience centered on the D-Day Campaign of 1944.

Nadithe and Lock will travel with other teams to George Washington University in Washington, D.C. in late June for a series of lectures and activities to deepen their understanding of the conflict. Then, all participants will depart for France on June 25 to visit many of the sites involved in the Normandy Campaign.

As part of the program, each team is tasked with writing a biography of a hometown soldier who participated in the Nor-

COMMUNITY VOICES:

Civility is becoming an antiquated term. Its meaning is consistently modern. Civility is how we treat one another as human beings – properly. What is clearly apparent to any casual or intentional observer of American culture in reality or the virtual realm reveals pervasive incivility. The language and public square interactions are replete with routine vulgarity and abusive language use. Just as philosopher Rene Descartes famously stated, “I think therefore I am,” how you speak tells how you are.

Tyre Nichols deadly traffic stop visually documented the Memphis Police SCORPION unit’s brutality, but so did the incident’s audio recording. Nichols was cursed and dehumanized over and over. Dehumanization is the standard operating procedure of those who commit crimes against individuals, ethnic groups and countries. Verbal dehumanization was an essential tool in the imposition of chattel slavery, dehumanizing mandy Campaign; Nadithe and Lock will write about the life of Pfc. Joseph Vincent Daniels, a St. Louisan who died on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day.

The culmination of the Normandy visit involves each student presenting a eulogy for their hometown hero while standing by his graveside in the Normandy American Cemetery at Colleville-Sur-Mer.

By Rodrick Burton vens

Language and incivility

the enslaved.

The American use of dehumanizing language has been present in conflicts from the Indian Wars; the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the Gulf War, the Iraq War and Afghanistan.

At this point in this essay some have taken offense and would lodge a charge of “wokeness;” however, I would assert from a perspective of faith, that the Christian Bible has many warnings around using corrosive language.

Here are Jesus’ own words, “it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles the person.”

A glance at our awards shows, our media, even our State of the Union audience response is ladened with defilement pouring collectively out and in response.

This must change and can change by a decision to be intentionally disciplined gov- erning our individual speech. Even when angry – think before making an utterance. When in public, consider and be wary that our words can offend and pollute the auditory airspace for kids, seniors and your fellow citizens. Let us use language to recapture civility before incivility is our permanent neighbor.

Rodrick Burton is the pastor of New Northside Missionary Baptist Church, a member of the St. Louis Metropolitan Clergy Coalition, the Ecumenical Leadership Council, St. Louis Initiative to Reduce Violence (SIRV), Voices for Early Childcare Programs and a field education mentor at Covenant Theological Seminary.

The opinions expressed in this column are the columnist’s alone and do not reflect the opinion of the owners or staff of Community News.