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The Electric Department serves approximately 1,900 customers. This department maintains all the distribution lines and transformers in the City. There are 22 miles of overhead line and 3 miles of underground line. The department operates two bucket trucks, a Digger Derek, which is used for digging holes for electrical poles, and a 5/60 Case Trencher, used for putting in underground lines. They also have six diesel engines, with a combined name plate capacity of 7,000 kilowatts. The plant is located next to the dam on the Pine River where there are two hydroelectric wheels that generate 400-kilowatts. These hydroelectric wheels supply approximately seven percent of the city's energy, depending on the water level of the river.
The Electric Department is headed by Mike Parsons who supervises three employees, Chad Clark, Jeff Fisher, and Dave Giles, that are needed for 1,900 customers they service. In one year approximately 40 million-kilowatt hours are sold.
In 2002 the City of St. Louis recently installed two additional diesel generators. The engines are housed in a new building that was constructed next to the existing electric plant on North Mill Street. They are Fairbank Morse O.P. Engines. One is a ten cylinder 1500 KW and the other is a 12 cylinder 1,360 KW unit.
The City now has six diesel and/or natural gas generators providing the residents of the city with a total of 6 3/4 megawatts. In 2004, the Gibson Eastside Substation was completed. The Substation is located along Hubbard Street near the correctional facilities. This project has allowed for better reliability during periods of high energy demands and for future growth in the City's system. | 
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