Ameren’s Intelligrid Network Engineering and System Integrations program is a focused effort to design and implement a private, packet-based communications network to upgrade the utility’s existing network infrastructure to Ethernet at nearly 650 sites.
The $50 million program includes mapping and collecting data on the network of approximately 400 transmission substations and deploying a build-out consisting of fiber and multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) technology. The Intelligrid program prepares the company for the integration of future network solutions such as long-term evolution (LTE).
Our team has led the business planning, detailed design, development of construction documents and device deployment for the initiative throughout eastern Missouri and southeastern Illinois. With our support, Ameren began the build-out program in 2015, focusing on substations above 100-kV.
We brought immediate efficiency by collecting nearly all site data in a single visit and entering it into an Esri GIS database, enabling Ameren to expedite the scoping of 150 site designs by three months.