Plenty of sunlight cascaded over an open field just west of Pottstown on Thursday morning, perhaps a bright sign for Ameren Illinois as the utility company begins construction on a renewable energy facility for Greater Peoria.
A ceremonial groundbreaking brought Ameren representatives and other project leaders together to tout the benefits of the new $20 million, 2.5-megawatt Peoria Solar Energy Center.
“Now, more than ever, more energy needs to be generated and connected to the grid as fast as possible so that it can be delivered to residents and businesses and support economic development in our communities like Peoria,” said Lenny Singh, Ameren Illinois chairman and president.
Singh said demand for electricity is outpacing supply across Illinois, particularly downstate. He said growth in manufacturing, industrial business needs and emerging technologies have driven the increased demand.
“Our innovative ways are powering our neighbors, our schools and churches, our local business, and our communities,” said Singh. “Today is just one of the many important milestones in the clean energy transition and a big step in the right direction.”
The Peoria Solar Energy Center is Ameren’s third utility-scale solar facility in equity-eligible areas, with the other two in East St. Louis.
“This is a $20 million investment, with more than $10 million going to local businesses and 50 local construction jobs created,” said Kristol Simms, Ameren’s vice president of Clean Energy Transition, Economic, Community, and Business Development. “It’s proof that when we prioritize people and places, we don’t have to choose between progress and impact. We can have both.”
The project stems from the 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act [CEJA], signed by Gov. JB Pritzker, aimed at getting Illinois to a goal of 100% clean energy use by 2050. Part of that legislation gave Ameren permission to develop, own and operate solar facilities of this nature.
“Under CEJA, we’re facilitating the adoption and development of clean energy generation, promoting the long-term growth of clean energy and upgrading critical infrastructures like poles, wires, substations, smart devices and implementing new technology — all in support of reliability, safety and supporting the clean energy transition through electrification,” said Singh, who noted Ameren hopes to have the facility operational by the third quarter of 2026.
The Peoria facility will produce enough electricity to power 420 homes and businesses.
“It’s incremental to what’s needed, but lots more of these types of projects are needed on the grid to be able to add more capacity, more energy on the grid,” said Singh. “Ultimately, where supply and demand crosses, the more supply you have, then demand — prices will start to come down.”
The facility will feature nearly 5,000 solar panels on the 37-acre site along Prichard Road on Peoria’s northwest side. The panels will auto-rotate with the sun to maximize energy production, while six battery modules and cabinets will store energy on the site.
Additionally, the location will have a 1.5-megawatt lithium-ion battery energy storage system that will be used to test how energy storage can be optimized across to manage electricity across the company’s distribution system.
“We’re trying to figure out: the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow, so how are you able to capture that energy and use it when you have these peak demand times?” said Patrick Smith, Ameren’s vice president of Operations and Technical Services.
Missouri-based commercial solar installation firm Azimuth Energy serves as the engineering procurement and construction partner on the project.
“Energy is life, and if energy is life, then we have a responsibility to make it better, to pursue perfect energy,” said Paul Marske, Azimuth’s director of business development. “What do I mean by that? I mean energy that is clean, sustainable, affordable, accessible and safe for everyone, energy that strengthens communities, not just grids, energy that creates jobs, not just power. That’s what this project is about.”
