Ameren Energy Launches Gibson City Project to Alleviate Power Constraints

The second of two 117MW units at Ameren Energy's (St. Louis, MO) Gibson City, IL, plant began commercial operation on July 31, 2000, adding additional generation into late summer for the Mid-America Interconnected Network (MAIN), which includes all of Illinois and parts of Wisconsin, Missouri and Michigan. The Gibson City project is expected to help alleviate power constraints during the predicted August heat wave in the Midwest.By summer 2001, 4,096MW of new generation are scheduled to come online as well, including two 640MW Duke Energy plants in Audrain County, MO, and Lee County, IL. By 2003, 6,746MW of new generation is expected to be online in the MAIN region through Reliant Energy's (Houston, TX) 870MW plant in Aurora, IL.