POWER INTERRUPTIONS SET

AmerenUE customers in the Benton and Commerce areas may be without power twice today.

About 800 customers are expected to have brief power interruptions at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m Each is expected to last up to 30 minutes.

The interruptions area necessary to replace a defective switch at the company's Benton substation, said Doug Groesbeck, manager of AmerenUE's southeast district.

The first outage will enable repair crews to install "jumper" wires to bypass the defective switch so the new switch can be installed. The second outage will be necessary to put the new device into service.

"We regret any inconvenience this may cause our customers in the Benton-Commerce area," said Groesbeck. "But the repairs are necessary to help ensure reliable service in the future.

Groesbeck said the repairs can't be made while the circuit is energized.

In case of adverse weather the interruptions will be rescheduled to Friday at the same times, he said.