Case Study: Ameren Illinois is a regulated electric and gas delivery company based in Collinsville, Illinois, and a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, located in St. Louis, Missouri. It delivers electricity to 1.2 million customers and natural gas to 806,000 customers over a service territory spanning 43,700 square miles in central and southern Illinois — about three-quarters of the state. Solution Ameren Illinois subscribes to 10 licenses of Schneider Electric’s MxVision WeatherSentry Online® Utility Edition weather information service. This service was being used by the utility’s sister company, Ameren Missouri, and Marx describes the solution as a “natural progression” for Ameren Illinois. He chose the service’s Professional Package, which includes real-time lightning display and detection; patented, customizable alerts; and 24/7 online consulting with Schneider Electric’s professional meteorologists. The utility also added telephone consultation and expanded lightning-radius information that provides real-time detection and display of lightning up to 250 miles away.

1. Ameren Illinois
Utility optimizes response capabilities to severe weather
Ameren Illinois is a regulated electric and gas delivery company based in
Collinsville, Illinois, and a subsidiary of Ameren Corporation, located in St.
Louis, Missouri. It delivers electricity to 1.2 million customers and natural gas
to 806,000 customers over a service territory spanning 43,700 square miles in
central and southern Illinois — about three-quarters of the state.
Like many electric energy providers, Ameren Illinois sees demand increasing
across its service area. It is actively developing a 10-year Modernization
Action Plan, or MAP, that identifies the thousands of distribution infrastructure
upgrades and repairs that will yield a more efficient and smarter grid and
assure the utility can meet its customers’ energy needs now and into
the future.
Challenges
While Ameren Illinois is planning for a more reliable and efficient distribution
network, weather continues to present typical wind, lightning, and icing
Weather Decision Support Solutions
PROJECT AT A GLANCE
Project Type
Operational weather solution
Location
Collinsville, Illinois
Number of Residents Served
1.2 million electric customers
806,000 natural gas customers
Applications
Accurate, timely weather information and
24/7 consultation supporting response
operations decisions
Equipment Installed
MxVision WeatherSentry Online®
Utility Edition
CUSTOMER BENEFITS
• Effective resource planning
• Efficient service restoration
• Robust emergency support capabilities
Make the most of your energySM

2. Weather Decision Support Solutions
challenges to network operations. The utility’s
large service area requires its operations support
group to monitor a broad scope of upcoming
weather, for proactive planning of the in-house and
field personnel, equipment, and time needed to
respond to potential network asset damage and
service disruptions. As explained by Michael Marx,
managing supervisor of Distribution Operating
Support and director of the utility’s Emergency
Operations Center, optimum response and
restoration require that dispatchers and support
staff be prepared, materials be accessible, and
skilled crew be available for damage evaluation
and repair.
He adds that the utility also looks for accurate
weather information for more-distant geographies,
such as the Gulf Coast and East Coast, to have as
much advance time as possible to plan for mutual
assistance that might be needed by utilities in the
path of severe weather.
Solution
Ameren Illinois subscribes to 10 licenses of
Schneider Electric’s MxVision WeatherSentry
Online®
Utility Edition weather information service.
This service was being used by the utility’s sister
company, Ameren Missouri, and Marx describes
the solution as a “natural progression” for Ameren
Illinois. He chose the service’s Professional
Package, which includes real-time lightning display
and detection; patented, customizable alerts; and
24/7 online consulting with Schneider Electric’s
professional meteorologists. The utility also added
telephone consultation and expanded lightning-
radius information that provides real-time detection
and display of lightning up to 250 miles away.
The Bottom Line
The Ameren Illinois Emergency Operations Center
staff takes full advantage of 24-hour access to
its specified weather information and proactive
alerts regarding wind speeds and ice accretion, all
available via PC or smartphone and tablet devices.
The staff incorporates the data and guidance
provided by Schneider Electric’s meteorology
team to identify areas at particular risk from severe
weather. This assessment allows the Center to best
prepare response.
“It can cost us a lot if we’re wrong on the timing
or location of severe weather,” emphasized Marx.
“We ask a lot of detailed questions of the service’s
meteorologists, frequently and often in the dead of
night. They are always responsive and provide us
with the details we need to make good decisions.
I consider their efforts absolutely critical in our
ability to plan operations and emergency response
effectively — both within our own service territory
and during those times we are considering sending
our crews to assist others, wherever the damage
might be.”
Indeed, the effective response planning developed
by Ameren Illinois and Ameren Missouri enabled
both utilities to provide valued assistance —
120,000 man-hours of analysis and field work — in
restoring electric service to New Jersey residents
in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy in 2012.
The utilities subsequently were honored by the
Edison Electric Institute (EEI) with the association’s
Emergency Assistance Award, recognizing their
extraordinary efforts in helping another utility
company restore electric service disrupted by
severe weather conditions or other natural events.
“I really do consider the Schneider Electric
meteorological staff to be part of my EOC Team
here at Ameren Illinois,” emphasized Marx. “If
we didn’t have this group acting on our behalf,
we would be incurring a lot more costs in
resources and outage time. I can count on them
to give me an accurate assessment of what they
know and what they can reasonably predict, so
we can provide the best service possible to
our customers.”
“We ask a lot of detailed questions of the service’s meteorologists,
frequently and often in the dead of night. They are always responsive
and provide us with the details we need to make good decisions.”
Michael Marx, managing supervisor of Distribution Operating Support and
director of the utility’s Emergency Operations Center
Ameren Illinois
©2013SchneiderElectric.Allrightsreserved.
May 2013
Schneider Electric USA, Inc. 9110 West Dodge Road, Omaha NE 68114 Telephone: 1-800-610-0777 Fax: 402-255-8125 www.schneider-electric.com/us