MO Utility Seeks Partner for Planned Nuke Plant

AmerenUE is asking the city of Columbia to consider a financial
partnership for a proposed second nuclear reactor in Callaway County.

A city spokeswoman says the St. Louis-based utility has held
preliminary discussions with the municipal government. Among the
possibilities on the table are a city investment or partial ownership.

Columbia Mayor Darwin Hindman is receptive to the partnership idea. He
calls nuclear energy "the cleanest and safest form of power right now."

Ameren says it has not yet decided to build a new reactor but has
submitted an application to the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The
project could cost as much as $9 billion.

The company wants state lawmakers to overturn a 1976 Missouri law that
that blocks investor-owned utilities from charging for construction costs
until the project is completed.