Ameren Missouri announced Tuesday that it will close its Rush Island coal plant earlier than expected.
In a court filing, Ameren announced that it will close the plant by spring 2024, a court-imposed deadline for the utility to install a flue-gas sulfurization system. Ameren had
Ameren Missouri President and Chairman Marty Lyons said in a statement that the utility made its decision after weighing its legal options and considering the impact on customer costs and system reliability.
鈥淲e remain committed to reliable and affordable electric service for the benefit of our customers and communities, while reducing emissions and building on our longstanding commitment to environmental stewardship,鈥� Lyons said.
The region鈥檚 grid operator, Midcontinent Independent System Operator, will complete a study that will help determine when the plant will close.
The expedited closure follows an from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that upheld a that Ameren violated the federal Clean Air Act by installing equipment that raised sulfur dioxide emissions. that Ameren should have installed pollution control equipment at the plant.
Environmentalists say that the utility鈥檚 decision is good for Missouri.
鈥淭oday鈥檚 announcement by Ameren to retire Rush Island will save hundreds of lives and will also reduce asthma attacks by the thousands in this region,鈥� said Andy Knott, central region director of the Sierra Club鈥檚 Beyond Coal campaign. 鈥淭his is a significant benefit to the region to move away from coal at this one power plant.鈥�
Last year the utility starting with the Meramec Energy Center in 2022 and ending with the Labadie Energy Center, the state鈥檚 largest coal-fired power plant, in 2042. The August ruling reversed a lower court decision ordering Ameren to install pollution controls at the Labadie plant meant to offset excess pollution from Rush Island.
Knott said the utility needs to work to further expedite closure of its other coal plants.
鈥淚n no way should Ameren consider replacing Rush Island with fracked natural gas, given skyrocketing fuel costs and the fact that methane, the primary component of natural gas, is a potent greenhouse gas,鈥� Knott said in a statement. 鈥淭o that end, Ameren Missouri executives should work vigorously to retire its coal fleet before 2030 in order to mitigate the worst impacts of our changing climate.鈥�
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