ST. LOUIS (March 24, 2021) – Construction begins this summer on Ameren Missouri's largest-ever solar facility after receiving final approval from regulators.
The new energy center will be in Montgomery County, Missouri, about an hour west of St. Louis, adjacent to I-70, which is in Ameren Missouri’s service territory.
This will be the company's second site as part of its Community Solar program, which was driven by the interest of more than 2,000 Ameren Missouri customers who wanted to take part in clean energy generation without having to install solar equipment on their own roofs or property, or pay high upfront costs.
"We're excited to support thousands of Ameren Missouri customers in their desire to receive up to half of their energy from Missouri-based clean energy," said Matt Forck, vice president of community, economic development and energy solutions at Ameren Missouri. "The Community Solar program is just one of the ways Ameren Missouri is delivering programs and services our customers value, while also reducing emissions and meeting Ameren's carbon reduction goals."
Ameren Missouri expects construction on the approximately six-megawatt facility to begin this summer and for it to be in operation by the end of the year.
The Montgomery County facility is the first new clean energy announcement following Ameren's establishment of an ambitious net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050. Milestones include reducing carbon emissions 50% by 2030 and 85% by 2040, based on 2005 levels. The goals accelerate and expand on the company's 2017 emissions reduction pledge and are consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement and limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
"Ameren Missouri is committed to clean energy and dedicated to reliability," said Marty Lyons, president of Ameren Missouri. "We're in the midst of a transformation of how we generate and use energy – and that transformation will have a positive impact on our environment and our future. Adding wind and solar generation reflects Ameren Missouri's leadership and is another step in fulfilling our clean energy commitment."
Once completed, the Montgomery County Community Solar Center will be the second Community Solar site serving Ameren Missouri customers. All available subscriptions at the company's first Community Solar facility, located near St. Louis Lambert International Airport, were filled quickly and the facility went into service in 2019.
“We encourage all customers interested in renewable energy to go to AmerenMissouri.com/CommunitySolar for more information and to subscribe,” Forck said. "As we build this solar facility for these subscribers, we look ahead to support more customers who desire renewable energy."
Ameren Missouri has been providing electric and gas service for more than 100 years, and the company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. Ameren Missouri's mission is to power the quality of life for its 1.2 million electric and 132,000 natural gas customers in central and eastern Missouri. The company's service area covers 64 counties and more than 500 communities, including the greater St. Louis area. For more information, visit Ameren.com/Missouri or follow us on Twitter at @AmerenMissouri or Facebook.com/AmerenMissouri.