By Maria Hickey, IL Public Radio
Springfield, Ill. – 
The St. Louis-based utility Ameren UE announced plans Tuesday to buy Illinois Power for more than $2 billion. Most of that amount will help pay off IP's debts.
The future of Illinois Power had been up in question since Exelon, the company that owns Commonwealth Edison, pulled out of a deal to buy the company last fall.
If the deal announced Tuesday is approved, Ameren would add about 200,000 new electric and gas customers in the Metro-East and would have more customers in Illinois than Missouri.
Illinois Public Radio's Maria Hickey prepared this report.