Established Energy Industries - PUB2836

Missouri Lights the Way for Energy Solutions

Missouri is committed to promoting our energy independence and is a leader in the field of renewable energy. In fact, Rockport, Missouri was the first 100% wind powered community in the United States. In 2007, Missouri's electric cooperatives took the initiative, voluntarily leading the way by providing transmission and long-term power purchase agreements that helped bring the first utility-scale wind farm to the state. Today, Missouri’s electric cooperatives purchase power from four Missouri wind farms with a combined capacity of 300 MW, capable of producing the amount of power used by about 55,000 member households.

In 2009, Evergy announced it had issued requests for proposals to add up to 300 MW of additional emissions-free, renewable wind generation in the 2010-2011 timeframe. Additionally, Evergy and its partners are demonstrating an end-to-end Smart Grid that includes advanced generation, distribution and customer technologies. Co-located renewable energy sources, such as solar and other parallel generation, will be placed in the demonstration area and will feed into the energy grid. The demonstration area consists of 10 circuits served by one substation across two square miles with 14,000 commercial and residential customers.

Major Energy Solutions Companies Have Already Found Success Here

In 2011, Exergonix chose Lee's Summit for their $90 million headquarters, creating 275 jobs. Also in 2011, Milbank Manufacturing in Kansas City announced its plans to invest $2.7 million for new production lines for renewable energy products, primarily for the purpose of integrating power from wind, solar, water and generators. Following suit in July 2012, carbon fiber manufacturer Zoltek announced plans to expand their St. Peters, Missouri operation.

Missouri Made: A New Generation of Energy

Currently, efforts are underway to start a new next-generation energy industry right here in Missouri. Westinghouse Electric Corporation has partnered with Ameren Missouri to design, manufacture and export Small Modular Nuclear Reactors (SMRs) in Missouri. A grant application for federal funds has been filed with the U.S. Department of Energy.

Missouri's Energy Industry Companies

• 3M (Columbia) — The 3M facility in Columbia makes Ultra Barrier Solar Film for solar cells. The film reduces the weight of the panels and also can lower costs for manufacturers.
• Abengoa Bioenergy Corp. (St. Louis) — Abengoa Bioenergy is one of the nation’s largest producers of ethanol.
• BZ Products (St. Louis) — BZ Products is a manufacturer of MPP and conventional solar charge controls.
• Emerson Electric Co. — (HQ St. Louis) Emerson is a major manufacturer of wind turbine components including Leroy-Somer generators, SSB Wind Systems’ positioning drives, Jaure couplings and Emerson Process Management monitoring and control systems to optimize wind farms. Emerson’s Leroy-Somer division was one of the first manufacturers of generators for wind turbines and now makes generators up to 5 MW as well as a range of control motors for the wind industry. They supply generators and other technology to wind turbine manufacturers in Europe, North America and Asia. Leroy-Somer has a network of global plants including their new Fuzhou, China facility, which supplies three of China’s largest wind turbine manufacturers. Emerson also manufactures inverters for the solar industry. Emerson is supplying power inverters and controls for what will be California’s largest photovoltaic power generation plant and one of the largest in the world.
• Hubbell Power Systems (Centralia) — Hubbell Power Systems (HPS) manufacturers a wide variety of transmission, distribution, substation, OEM and telecommunications products used by utilities in addition to solar helical foundations.
• MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. — (HQ St. Louis) MEMC is a global leader in the manufacture and sale of wafers and related products to the semiconductor and solar industries. MEMC recently bought SunEdison, the largest operator of solar power plants in North America, and Solacx, a California-based solar tech company. In February 2011 Samsung Fine Chemicals and MEMC announced plans to build a 50/50-Joint Venture in Ulsan, South-Korea to produce polysilicon. The plant will have an initial capacity of 10,000 tons per annum. In August of 2011, MEMC announced plans to buy the privately held U.S. subsidiary of solar power plant developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures.
• Meramec Instrument Transformer Co. (Cuba) — Meramec Instrument Transformer Co. designs and manufactures the highest quality, custom made current transformers in the electrical power industry. For more than 40 years, Meramec has produced over one million current transformers and precision components for OEM customers and for the utility service aftermarket.
• MidAmerica Solar LLC (Imperial) — MidAmerica Solar developed the Twain Technology Lighting System, a streetlight powered solely by wind and solar energy. It is completely sustainable and off-grid and can be placed almost anywhere.
• Milbank Manufacturing (Kansas City) — In July 2011, Milbank announced plans to invest $2.7 million to set up new production lines for renewable energy products, primarily to help integrate power sources such as wind, solar, water, generators and power management.
• Peabody Energy (HQ St. Louis) — Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company, with 2008 sales of 255 million tons and $6.6 billion in revenues.
• Phycal (St. Louis) — Phycal's algae biotechnology laboratory at the BioResearch and Development Growth Park (BRDG) at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, won a $24.2 million federal research grant in August 2010. Phycal researches how to develop a production system for growing algae and extracting an energy product, primarily algal oil. This oil can be converted into biodiesel, drop-in “green” replacements for diesel and jet fuel, fuel oil blends and other products.
• VestFiber (Moberly) — In December 2010, Vest-Fiber, a supplier of fiberglass products and services primarily to the wind turbine industry headquartered in Denmark, announced that Moberly, Mo. will be the location of a new manufacturing facility. The company’s capital investment of $2 million will create 50 new local jobs.
• Watlow (HQ St. Louis) — Watlow manufactures a broad range of heaters, sensors and controllers specifically for use in the photovoltaic cell and module manufacturing industry.
• Zoltek (HQ St. Louis) — Zoltek supplies carbon fiber to wind industry manufacturers like DeWind Inc., Vestas Wind Systems, and Gamesa Eolica.