Hybrid Energy Centers
Ameren Missouri is Planning a Novel Power Generation Facility
Kalin Ned — September 19, 2025Ameren Missouri has submitted a regulatory application to construct a hybrid energy center that integrates natural gas turbines with a substantial battery storage system at a single location in Missouri. The proposed Big Hollow Energy Center is designed to provide 800 megawatts of rapid-response natural gas generation alongside 400 megawatts of lithium-ion battery storage. This project represents Ameren Missouri's first major investment in large-scale battery technology.
The establishment of a hybrid energy center aims to address grid reliability concerns during periods of high demand, extreme weather, or intermittent renewable energy generation by combining the dispatchable capacity of natural gas with the instantaneous response capabilities of battery storage. The project is positioned as a strategic component of the utility's broader energy transition plan.
Big Hollow Energy Center is expected to commence operation in 2028.