Ameren Missouri joins call for power conservation amid extreme demand

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Ameren Missouri is the latest utility serving Mid-Missouri to ask its customers to conserve energy as extreme cold causes demand spikes.

The utility, which supplies electricity and gas to much of Mid-Missouri, said in a statement Tuesday that the regional electric grid operator has asked utilities to reduce their power demands.

"Conserving energy will not only help others across the region, it will also help customers save money," Mark Birk, senior vice president for customer and power operations for Ameren Missouri, said in the statement. "We appreciate our customers' support and understanding during these extremely cold temperatures."

Two electric cooperatives in Mid-Missouri -- Boone Electric Cooperative and Three Rivers Electric Cooperative -- called on their members to conserve power Monday.

Evergy is alerting customers in some Missouri cities that it will begin rolling power blackouts in response to overwhelming demand during record-setting low temperatures.

The company announced Monday it will turn off electricity to blocks of customers for about 30 to 60 minutes and then rotate to other service areas. That came after the Southwest Power Pool, a multistate energy market-based in Little Rock, Arkansas, announced the blackouts were because of overwhelming demand caused by the frigid temperatures and wind chills.

City utilities in Springfield and the city of Independence also announced rolling blackouts to their customers.

Columbia Water and Light said Monday the power grid issues will not affect the city.

However, the Fulton City Council plans to have a meeting at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday to talk about the increase in demand and its effect on the city's municipal utility.

A record low temperature of 8 degrees below zero was recorded Tuesday morning at the Columbia Regional Airport.