Ameren Energizes $20M Peoria Solar-Battery Center

Ameren Illinois has energized its $20 million Peoria Solar Energy Center, a 37-acre facility with nearly 5,000 panels and 2.5 megawatts of solar generation. The project also includes a 1.5-megawatt, 4-megawatt-hour battery designed to store excess daytime solar power and deliver it when demand rises, including in the evening. Located in a community eligible for investment under Illinois’ Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, the site is the third renewable generation facility Ameren has developed under the law. Company and project representatives say the installation supports the state’s clean-energy transition while helping address growing electricity demand; estimates suggest its solar output could serve roughly 300 to 400 homes.