Residents Criticize Ameren St. Louis County Gas Plant Project

During a public hearing before the state Public Utilities Commission, speakers raised concerns about costs, the volatility of natural gas prices, the reliability of the fuel source in extreme conditions, the impact on local air quality and public health, and how it could exacerbate climate change.

“Ameren talks about its commitment to clean energy, but methane is not a clean energy source,” said Jennifer Jaynes, one of the participants in Friday’s conversation. “I respectfully urge the PSC to vote no on this proposal.”

Ameren is touting the project at its former Meramec Energy Center site near Arnold as a necessity. Its aging coal-fired fleet is facing retirement, while the utility is bracing for increased energy demand, especially as data centers and other energy-intensive commercial operations become more common. While Ameren is also embarking on a plan to invest billions in renewable energy over the next decade or more, it says projects like the one called Castle Bluff are needed to help ensure reliability during periods of peak electricity demand, such as intense summer heat or, especially, extreme winter weather.

“Why do we want to build this plant?” Warren Wood, vice president of regulatory and legislative affairs for Ameren Missouri, said Friday. “It all comes down to one key issue: reliability.”

And scheduling that investment at the former Meramec plant, which closed at the end of 2022, will save taxpayers money, the company said.

But many also criticized the process: Friday’s hearing was held virtually, in the middle of a business day, and was the only scheduled hearing on the motion. It was attended by dozens of people.

“That’s one of the things that really struck us,” said Beth Gutzler, an organizer with Metropolitan Congregations United, a coalition of regional churches that works on issues including air pollution.

Critics have noted that this is a different level of public scrutiny than some major renewable energy projects in the state have faced. For example, the Grain Belt Express transmission line, which aims to distribute wind power from Kansas to Missouri and states farther east, has had a litany of in-person public hearings over the years.

The PSC apparently is not applying the same standards to the gas-fired plant, according to James Owen, executive director of Renew Missouri, a group that advocates for more renewable energy in the state.

“I don’t know if they particularly care what the public thinks,” he said. “It’s disturbing.”

Skeptics also worry about the objectivity of some state regulators who must decide whether to approve the project. At a recent meeting, for example, PSC Commissioner Kayla Hahn urged the utility to build new gas generation, even scolding the company for not submitting such proposals earlier.

The judge presiding over Friday’s hearing said the commission must remain impartial until all the evidence is presented.

The PSC commission declined to answer questions on Friday because the case is ongoing.

The first round of testimony from experts, regulatory officials and other intervenors was recently submitted to the Consumer Safety and Protection Commission.

Agency staff recommended approval of the project subject to certain conditions.

Further testimony will be taken before the committee makes a decision on the bill.