Solar Energy

EarthDance Organic farm used a federal program to help pay for a solar array that now provides 87% of the power they need to teach classes and grow vegetables

Together, the three new solar facilities can produce 500 megawatts of renewable energy. They are the energy companies largest solar effort to date.

Two years ago, Ameren finished the first solar farm in East St. Louis. Company leaders hope the second facility’s completion will spark similar investments.

The utility company anticipates the New Florence solar facility will begin serving customers in 2026. The 7-megawatt power station gets Ameren closer to a goal of “net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.”

Destination Discovery will feature new animal habitats and interactive play. It is being built with sustainable design practices.

The Buder and Julia Davis libraries in St. Louis each has 156 rooftop solar panels that also reduce carbon emissions.

The Cass County Renewable Energy Center will double the size of a program that allows large businesses to pay for renewable energy.

Ameren Missouri has announced plans to expand its Community Solar program with a third solar facility to meet growing demand for renewable energy.

As the number of wind and solar farms increases, so does opposition in the rural areas where they’re being built. While more counties and townships passed restrictions in the last year, some states are responding by passing laws making it harder for local governments to say no to wind and solar.

St. Louis has put the work in to become a leader in stopping greenhouse gas emissions. Can it make good on its lofty ambitions?