ST. LOUIS — Ameren Missouri said Wednesday it will develop a new solar energy facility on 91 acres near New Florence in Montgomery County, about an hour west of St. Louis on a site adjacent to Interstate 70.
The electric utility said pending approval from the Public Service Commission, the state regulator, construction would start in spring 2021, with completion perhaps in October.
The facility, which will include thousands of solar panels, is expected to generate 12,000 megawatt hours per year, the equivalent of the total energy needs of nearly 1,100 average residential homes, Ameren said. It added that the development comes as it counts almost 2,000 new customer subscriptions to its community solar program, which it says allows eligible customers to subscribe to blocks of a shared solar system at a locked in generation charge.
Announcement of the development also comes after Ameren said last month it would look to operate with net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, a more aggressive goal than previously outlined. It had said that meeting the goal would involve substantial renewable energy projects, including the acquisition of two Missouri-based wind energy facilities for $1.2 billion, and an extension of its license to operate a nuclear energy facility, Callaway Energy Center, beyond 2044.
"Substantial increases in renewable energy generation are at the core of our transformational change toward Ameren's net-zero carbon emissions," Marty Lyons, Ameren Missouri chairman, said in a statement. "This new solar facility, the largest in Ameren Missouri history, is one of many projects we're pursuing to deliver more clean energy while maintaining the reliability and affordability our customers have come to expect."
Click here for the full story.
