New BMU substation will be benefit to the city

SIKESTON — A new substation to be built next to the Sikeston Power Plant will be a benefit to the city for years to come.

The new substation will be jointly owned by Sikeston, Ameren and the Missouri Electric Utility Commission (MEUC), of which Sikeston is a member. It will be known as the Comstock Substation and will be located just west of the Sikeston Power Plant and north of the existing Southwestern Power Administration substation.

“This has been in the works for quite a while,” said Sikeston BMU General Manager Rick Landers, who added it began as an effort to support an economic development project for the City of New Madrid. While the original industry did not materialize, another has emerged keeping the project close to the intent of the original.

“Sikeston started out as someone sitting in listening and over time we became the way to make it happen,” Landers said. “It became, at a certain point, clear there were a lot of benefits to both parties to enter in to this joint facility.”

Sikeston will be the majority owner of the substation, owning 75% while Ameren and MEUC will split ownership of the other 25%. The project includes selling 25% of the capacity on BMU’s existing 161 kv power line.

The substation is a benefit to all involved, allowing Sikeston to reduce cost increase coming from both the expiration of the contract to use the SPA-owned substation that is adjacent to the Sikeston Power Plant and future maintenance on the 161 kv power line.

“The main thing it does for Sikeston, is the (SPA owned) substation we use now, we do that under contract and the contract runs out next summer,” Landers said. “When it does, we’re going to have to pay a lot of money to use that substation.”

Landers said that after running numbers, the new substation would pay for itself within two years.

“Sikeston’s benefit is we’re going to save some money. And, to connect to the outside world right now, we’ve got to go through somebody else’s facility. Once we do this, we’ll own our own facility. That gives us a lot of options on what we can do,” Landers said.

It also allows the City of New Madrid to become a member of the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) system and supply power to their new industry.

Sikeston City Council approved documents allowing the building of the substation during Monday’s meeting.

Landers said they hope to have the substation in service next summer.

Note — The substation is named after Harold E. Comstock, an American fighter ace who attended primary flying school in Sikeston.