Approved power generation plan outlines future for City Utilities

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — The Board of Public Utilities approved City Utilities' (CU) 2025 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) on July 31, outlining their strategy for power generation for the next 20 years.

According to Jamie Presley, Communications Manager at CU, this long-term plan will ensure that they can serve customers in the best way possible.

"A key part of the strategy for us in this plan is to locally generate electricity," said Presley, "Not only does that keep that reliable because we can generate it here, but it also helps keep things affordable."

City Utilities will also continue to diversify its energy mix, using natural gas, coal, wind, solar and hydro. Presley explains that having a wide selection of energy sources will help keep costs down for customers.

"Say prices are expensive that day for natural gas; we can utilize coal, or we can utilize wind," said Presley. "Anything that we can do here to locally generate electricity will help us and our customers when we pass on those costs to them."

While coal-fueled energy is still a "vital" part of their plan, reliance on it is expected to decline as new technologies emerge and environmental regulations change.

When asked about the possible use of nuclear energy, Presley said it is something City Utilities has been looking closely into but has no plans to pursue at this time, citing that implementing the energy source can be expensive, and maintaining their balance between reliability and affordability.

The IRP also outlines investment in clean energy and a path towards reducing carbon emissions by 70% by 2035. CU hopes to reach net zero by 2050.

There is an expected moderate growth of electric demand by 1.1% annually.

The IRP will be updated regularly, and as conditions change. The full plan can be found on their website.