Ameresco, Inc. is implementing a citywide advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) project in Columbia, Missouri, to modernize the city’s utility infrastructure and improve its data transparency for more efficiency.

The energy infrastructure provider announced the partnership on Thursday. Reportedly valued at $42 million, the contract covers the replacement of nearly 54,000 electric meters and more than 52,000 water meters across Columbia. According to a company release, Ameresco will install an AMI network and new meter data management software. This system will integrate directly into Columbia's existing billing and customer portals.

The new contract builds on an existing collaboration between Ameresco and the City of Columbia. The two entities are also modernizing the 22-year-old HVAC systems and interior lighting at the Armory Sports and Recreation Center (Armory). Originally built in 1939 and last remodeled in 2000, the Armory is designated a historic local landmark.

For both partners, the AMI project aims to implement a long-term investment in critical public infrastructure to ensure residents receive accurate and reliable service.

“This project reflects Columbia’s continued commitment to investing in the infrastructure that supports its community,” said Louis Maltezos, co-president of Ameresco, in a statement. “Modernizing its metering infrastructure is an important step in strengthening the systems residents depend on every day, while creating a foundation for future needs.”

The upgrades will replace Columbia’s aging metering infrastructure, which has reportedly exceeded its useful life. Improved metering accuracy is expected to generate long-term operational savings and increased utility revenue over time.

Key benefits the partners outlined for residents and city operations include:

• Transparent, near real-time access to electric and water usage data
• Faster outage and leak detection
• More accurate and equitable billing
• Reduced field service and meter reading costs
• Improved data to support future infrastructure planning

Gwen Corches, assistant director of electric utility for the City of Columbia, noted that these modernization efforts give the city better visibility into system performance while accelerating response times.

"With more accurate, timely data, we can improve the resident experience today while giving our teams the information they need to plan for the community’s future,” Corches added.

Similar infrastructure efforts are core to Ameresco's ongoing partnership with the city of Brockton, Massachusetts. There, Ameresco implemented $7 million in energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) to modernize Brockton’s City Hall (built in 1892) and its War Memorial Building (built in 1930). Both concentrated on HVAC, advanced lighting and automated energy management systems.

These municipal upgrades precede Ameresco’s $30 million ESPC, completed in March 2026 with Velarium Energy, a strategic U.S. Department of Defense partner. The two modernized nearly 4,000 U.S. Army military family housing units in Fort Polk, Louisiana, by transitioning the community to efficient geothermal energy.