Ameren makes plans to add four new solar projects by 2026, able to power about 95,000 homes - St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Ameren makes plans to add four new solar projects by 2026, able to power about 95,000 homes
Ameren announced plans Tuesday to build or acquire new solar projects capable of powering about 95,000 average-sized homes — the company's largest-ever commitment to solar energy.
The St. Louis-based electric utility said the power will come from four solar projects in Missouri and Illinois. The new solar arrays will have a combined output of roughly 550 megawatts .
The four solar projects are expected to be completed and begin service at different times between 2024 and 2026. The projects vary in size and will be located in Vandalia, Mo., Warren County, and Bowling Green, as well as Cass County, Ill.
Though Ameren's power generation remains mostly tied to coal, Tuesday's announcement continues the utility's push to add more renewable energy. The company aims to invest billions in wind and solar projects over the next two decades, as costs of the technologies plummet and as the utility strives to trim — and eventually eliminate — carbon emissions.
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But Ameren has also proposed building a natural gas-fired power plant in the next decade .
This story will be updated.
Related Knowledge Center: ENERGY BASICS: solar
Declining costs and government encouragement have resulted in a rapid increase in solar energy production in the United States over the past 10 years, although solar’s share remains small: 1.6 percent of all electricity generation in 2018. That rapid growth is projected to continue.