Ameren Missouri has laid out a plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. The electric utility company says it’s a goal to balance energy needs while working toward a reliable and resilient power grid that is affordable.
Ajay Arora is the company’s senior vice president. He told Missourinet that the plan includes using renewables, nuclear, natural gas, and hydrogen.
“Those rising needs are really being driven by an increasingly electrified future whether it’s through transportation, personal or commercial or the electrification of supply chains as well as industrial processes as various companies are looking to meet their sustainability goals,” said Arora.
That means completely phasing out coal, which the company says supplied about 66% of Missouri’s power to the grid last year.
Arora said the company can accelerate the deployment of this plan.
“The reason for that is it’s much more affordable for us to complete the deployment of renewable energy certainly by the end of 2036 because there are meaningful federal tax credits available to our customers through the Inflation Reduction Act,” Arora said.
Using renewable energy, in theory, is a great idea for Ameren Missouri reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2045, but if it results in cost of living and tax increases, does it really save a consumer money?
“With the Inflation Reduction Act, there are meaningful tax credits available for deployment of renewable energy in the timeframe that we are talking about,” explained Arora. “So, a large part of that cost is actually offset by the tax credits that we can obtain from the federal government for the benefit of our customers.”
Company data shows that the three-year period from 2020 to 2022 saw about a 32% decrease in carbon emissions compared to 2005.
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