09:19 AM EDT, 06/10/2024 (MT Newswires) -- Ameren's ( AEE ) Ameren Missouri unit said Monday it has filed an application with the Missouri Public Service Commission to construct an 800-megawatt simple-cycle natural gas energy center that will serve as a backup energy source.

The company said it anticipates to invest about $900 million in the Castle Bluff Energy Center, which aims to boost energy supply when demand spikes during the hottest summer days and the coldest winter nights.

The identified site for the facility already has existing infrastructure and transmission line access, Ameren Missouri said.

The company said that with "timely regulatory approval," construction of the energy center is expected to start in 2026 and be completed in 2027.