Consent of Independent Accountants


We  hereby  consent  to the  incorporation  by  reference  in  the  Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-43743) of Central Illinois Public Service Company
of our report  dated June 25, 1999 on the  financial  statements  of the Central
Illinois  Public Service  Company  Long-Term  Savings Plan, IUOE No. 148 for the
year ended December 31, 1998, which is included in this Form 11-K.




/s/ PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
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PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

St. Louis, Missouri
June 29, 1999