Users' Group Recognizes Ameren's Hutsonville as 'PRB Coal Plant of the Year' 2009

Users' Group Recognizes Ameren's Hutsonville as 'PRB Coal Plant of the Year'
2009

ROSEMONT, Ill., May 27 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Ameren Corporation's
AmerenEnergy Generating Hutsonville Power Plant was recognized by the PRB Coal
Users' Group as the 2009 "Plant of the Year"- small plant category at their
annual meeting on May 11, 2009, held in Chicago. The award was presented to
recognize the employees, the plant, and Ameren for their culture promoting
safe and efficient handling of powder river basin (PRB) coals.

Plants nominated for the PRB Coal Users' Group "Plant of the Year" are subject
to rigorous reviews by the Users' Group's board of directors. Each plant
receives an extensive walk-through audit, where the plant is evaluated from
the coal receiving system through the coal yard and to the combustion process.
An emphasis is placed on proactive approaches to protecting people, not just
on equipment or systems, and their operating practices and plant culture.

Bob Taylor, chairman of the PRB Users' Group, stated "The Hutsonville Plant is
a smaller plant in size but one with a huge heart. Theirs is a story of
family. Whenever faced with uncertainty, first by the need to be
price-competitive in the changing market and more recently with the whole
discussion of where our industry is headed...the employees at Hutsonville
responded with the cohesiveness of family and plowed forward always taking
care of each other, their families and business. They share a remarkable
story of how to improve and change, while making it look simple."

Hutsonville Production Superintendent Gregory Musch expressed his deep
appreciation for the award, citing the "ownership" of Hutsonville employees as
the driving reason for this singular award. "Our employees are never ones to
say 'that's not my job,'" says Musch. "Instead, they look for an innovative
approach to overcome any obstacle. We don't seek out recognition, but this is
an honor we're very proud of because this highly respected organization
recognized our plant's many strengths. It was especially important to the
plant to receive this award in honor of the late Steve V. Miller, who for many
years was our plant manager and who died in March just weeks before we
received this honor."

Ameren Energy Generating Company's Hutsonville Power Plant is located in
Crawford County near Hutsonville, Ill. The two-unit 151-megawatt (MW) plant
was commissioned in 1953. The power plant was originally designed to use high
sulfur Illinois Basin coal, but converted to PRB coal beginning with a test
burn in 2004. The plant now uses 100 percent PRB coal.

The plant efficiently operated while making numerous modifications to
accommodate the use of PRB coal, including the entire replacement of an aged
coal yard--eliminating six existing conveyors, two crushers and other
equipment.

More recently, in June 2008, Hutsonville marked six years with zero lost-time
accidents--maintaining that safety culture through a demanding schedule of
reduced outage times.

The PRB Coal Users' Group is a non-profit organization formed nine years ago
with the mission to promote safe and efficient use of PRB coals by those who
use it or are considering its use. They do not lobby for its use, only
provide a venue to bring users, and those who support the users, together to
share better practices, educate on the risks, and truly help one another.

Randy Rahm, Past Chairman and Executive Director of the group lauded
Hutsonville Plant's dedication: "I am pleased to see a company step up and
focus on the safe and productive handling of PRB Coal."

Past recipients recognized as the PRB Coal Users' Group Plant of the Year are
Big Brown Plant (Luminant Power), Lawrence Energy Center (Westar Energy),
Monticello Generating Station (Luminant Power), Kincaid Power Station
(Dominion Energy), Jeffrey Energy Center (Westar Energy) Labadie Power Plant
(AmerenUE), Tecumseh Energy Center (Westar Energy) and Miller Steam Plant
(Alabama Power), www.prbcoals.com.

Ameren Corporation, (NYSE: AEE) based in St. Louis, is parent to
non-rate-regulated generating operations and four utility companies in
Illinois and Missouri. Those companies provide electricity to 2.4 million
customers and natural gas to nearly one million customers. Ameren contact:
Susan Gallagher 314-554-2175

SOURCE Ameren Corporation

Bob Taylor of Ameren, +1-812-499-3837