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Solar project underway near Lambert Airport

Once online, the solar farm will generate renewable energy for homeowners, renters and small businesses across Missouri.

BRIDGETON, Mo. — With planes coming in loud overhead, crews are getting ready to wrap up their months-long project.

Ameren Missouri is hoping to have the new one-megawatt solar facility up and running by mid-summer. Once online, the solar farm will generate renewable energy for homeowners, renters and small businesses across Missouri.

"Not every customer has the same needs," explained Ameren's Matt Forck, "so these are customers that maybe have shade trees around their home or maybe they have a condo unit so they can subscribe to solar blocks here and offset about half of their energy use with renewable, clean solar energy."

Subscriptions for the solar energy blocks filled up in just 55 days. There is a waiting list and Forck says more facilities are in the works.

Solar sites need to meet certain requirements and planners were lucky the hill by the airport checked all the boxes.

"It's on a hillside," said Jerry Beckmann with STL Airport Planning and Development. "It would've been very expensive to develop for a building or any other purpose."

Instead of a building or a parking lot, the clear hillside will be powering homes, reducing carbon emissions and promoting a more earth-friendly way of life.

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