Power On Program—FAQs
		What is Project Power On?
		What are the components of Project Power On?
		Is the Power On initiative in response to the major storm-related outages in recent years?
		What is the connection between environmental controls and reliability?
		Will tree-trimmers be working on private property?
		What else is being done to limit the extent of outages along local power lines?
		What is UE’s inspection program for underground electric facilities?
		What percentage of your lines is underground today?
		Why isn't the undergrounding of power lines already more widespread?
		Whom do customers contact to report concerns regarding trees, poles, or anything else?
1.	Q.	What is Project Power On?
	A.	Project Power On is a massive investment initiative by AmerenUE to improve service reliability, emergency response capabilities and environmental stewardship for our electric customers in Missouri. These efforts are on top of the $500 million a year AmerenUE spends on ongoing efforts to upgrade and maintain our system.
2.	Q.	What are the components of Project Power On?
	A.	There are five major elements to this plan:
		1.	Expanded Tree-Trimming Program. This substantially increases tree-trimming funding to $50 million annually, with special focus being placed on lines that were built to accommodate residential housing growth over the past four decades, when trees were planted that now jeopardize the system during severe weather.
		2.	Comprehensive Circuit Inspection and Repair Program. This establishes an ongoing “foot patrol” program to help AmerenUE identify and repair or replace poles and other overhead and underground equipment before potential failures occur. Funded at nearly $30 million annually, it includes the implementation of new technology that enables us to evaluate the integrity of our distribution lines. Tree-trimmers continue to provide visual inspections as they have been doing for many years. This program also marked our early adoption of the 2007 National Electrical Safety Code, which has resulted in a more robust and reliable overhead distribution system for AmerenUE customers.
		3.	Severe Weather Monitoring. UE and St. Louis University (SLU) have partnered on a unique weather forecasting system—Quantum Weather™. This system provides UE with neighborhood-by-neighborhood predictions of severe weather hours in advance. This advance knowledge allows UE to dispatch crews and other resources ahead of the storm and to further improve restoration times for customers.
		4.	Underground Conversion Program. This program was designed to provide for substantial underground cabling in those areas where the conversion of existing overhead or underground equipment is feasible, improves electric service reliability and makes economic sense. UE has completed this effort, having invested $150 million to introduce nearly 200 miles of new underground circuitry into the Missouri territory and improve the service reliability for 80,000 electric customers.
		5.	Sioux Plant Investment to Reduce Power Plant Emissions. This addresses Missouri’s growing energy needs, while meeting or exceeding federal environmental standards. The AmerenUE Sioux Plant in Missouri is installing “scrubbers” to remove approximately 95% of the sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide content from emissions when burning either low-sulfur or high-sulfur coal. The new scrubbers will also reduce mercury emissions. Overall, Ameren is spending billions of dollars to retrofit other power plants in the region with pollution control equipment, all well ahead of federal mandates.
3.	Q.	Is the Power On initiative in response to the major storm-related outages a few years back?
	A.	Unusually severe weather increased the frequency and duration of power outages over the past few years, and we have heard our customers and understand their concerns. Because of increased weather severity, combined with increasing consumer dependence on power in general, AmerenUE has sought ways to effectively “harden” the region’s electrical network. As part of Project Power On, we have worked with industry experts, community leaders, and customers to identify the areas of greatest need and develop courses of action that have the greatest potential impact. On the environmental front, we seek to generate power in as clean and as responsible a manner as possible, well in advance of federal mandates. Our goal is to ensure the production and delivery of safe, clean, reliable power to meet the current and future energy needs of our region.
4.	Q.	What is the connection between environmental controls and reliability?
	A.	AmerenUE is committed to providing energy in an environmentally responsible way. Investing wisely in environmental controls allows us to meet federal standards so we can continue to generate our own low-cost power to meet our customers’ needs. Having power generated closer to customers provides greater reliability and lower costs. And, as part of our corporate responsibility, we must meet federal emissions mandates. We have chosen to act in advance of federally mandated timelines, protecting both the environment and electrical supply for our customers.
5.	Q.	Will tree-trimmers be working on private property?
	A.	The trimming of trees and branches hanging over power lines is allowed on private property only in those rights-of-way where AmerenUE has easement rights. Homeowners are responsible for keeping lines clear that cross into their properties, like the lines connecting directly to their homes or places of business. AmerenUE will continue to discuss concerns regarding tree-trimming plans with homeowners and municipal authorities. With the recent outages caused by severe weather events, we have found that property owners are more understanding when these issues are raised.
6.	Q.	What else is being done to limit the extent of outages along local power lines?
	A.	In addition to our expanded tree-trimming efforts and the comprehensive circuit inspection and repair program associated with Project Power On, we are continuing our long-standing practice of installing “tap fuses.” These devices help minimize the number of customer outages down the line in the case of fallen tree limbs or other weather-related damage. Similar to the fuses or circuit breakers in the home, when a tap fuse operates or “trips,” it interrupts power only to the specifically affected lines and allows power to continue to flow elsewhere. AmerenUE has been installing these tap fuses for about 10 years. We are also expanding our use of “automated switches.” These are devices that can automatically detect when damage has occurred on a section of line and switch around the damage location, thus restoring power to as many customers as possible even before the problem is fully diagnosed.
7.	Q.	What is UE's inspection program for underground electric facilities?
		In 2008, the Missouri Public Service Commission issued reliability rules for investor-owned public utilities that require inspecting infrastructure, including underground facilities. As part of this program, UE is visiting the property of many of our customers to inspect our underground equipment. The most commonly inspected equipment will be pad-mounted transformers. UE is conducting two types of inspections—a patrol inspection completed every four years is a simple, visual inspection designed to identify obvious problems and hazards. A detailed inspection, completed once every eight years, will carefully examine individual pieces of equipment and structures, visually and through use of routine diagnostic testing. Equipment will be opened and its condition rated and recorded. Here are the guidelines for this program.
8.	Q.	What percentage of your lines is underground today?
	A.	Only about 20%. However, today in Missouri, 70% of the new electric line miles added to the system each year are underground – the remaining 30% are overhead. In total, AmerenUE has nearly 27,000 miles of overhead lines in the state of Missouri. It is important to understand that a very small percentage of this total length is actually exposed to the type of tree growth responsible for power outages.
9.	Q.	Why isn’t the undergrounding of power lines already more widespread?
	A.	Placing overhead power lines underground along already developed streets and rights-of-way is extremely expensive and can present some major construction and maintenance challenges. Many new housing and commercial developments are putting power lines underground today. We also work with property owners who choose to bury their own lines.    Individual projects have to be evaluated on a long-term basis, which includes the consideration of both the benefits and the cost. We have been in discussions with government officials on the possibility of their adopting local undergrounding ordinances that would require buried lines for all new, upgraded and/or relocated electric services. Many townships and municipalities in Missouri have ordinances like this in place already.
10.	Q.	Whom do customers contact to report concerns regarding trees, poles, or anything else?
	A.	Customers with specific questions regarding Project Power On are encouraged to call AmerenUE’s Power On Customer Contact Center at 877.365.POWR (877.365.7697). For any other general concerns, please contact us at 800.552.7583. You may also contact us via email at eNews@ameren.com or by using our Contact Us form.