Canopies that will generate solar energy will be built over this parking lot at Ameren’s Jefferson District Operating Center on Hwy. MM in House Springs. The panels are expected to be operative by the end of 2023. 

Canopies that will generate solar energy will be built over this parking lot at Ameren’s Jefferson District Operating Center on Hwy. MM in House Springs. The panels are expected to be operative by the end of 2023. 

Ameren will install a solar energy system in Jefferson County.

The St. Louis-based electric utility announced its plans to build solar “canopies” at its Jefferson District Operating Center, 6450 Hwy. MM, in House Springs.

The Jefferson County project is one of two Ameren announced on Sept. 8.

The company will build a similar project at its North Metro Operating Center at I-70 and Union Boulevard in north St. Louis.

The two are part of Ameren’s Neighborhood Solar program, which features solar installations in parking lots and other “underutilized” spaces, the company said.

“The goal of this program is to choose sites that are very visible to customers,” said Annemarie Nauert, Ameren’s renewables program supervisor. “If you are going by on the road, you will be able to see it.”

Nauert said about 600 solar panels will be installed at the House Springs facility. Two of the canopies will be placed on parking lots that are easily visible from Hwy. MM, and three more will be built behind Ameren’s building, she said.

“That balances visibility from the road and functionality for how the site is used, while still adding that clean energy to the grid,” Nauert said.

Nauert said construction of the solar canopies should begin by the end of this year or early next year. She said the company expects the canopies to begin producing energy by the end of 2023 and enough energy will be produced to power the equivalent of about 20 homes.

Ameren serves 103,00 customers in Jefferson County, and 1.2 million customers throughout the state, a spokesman said.

“Overall, it is part of our Neighborhood Solar program that is an investment of at least $14 million on these types of installations statewide throughout our service territory,” Nauert said. “We are working really hard to disperse that to diverse communities and different parts of our service territories. We are proud to find this location that will represent the Jefferson County part of our territory.”

Ameren said the Jefferson County and north St. Louis projects are expected to create dozens of jobs. The company said several apprentices will be involved in construction, giving them experience in the growing solar installation industry.

Ameren has made increasing commitments to renewable energy in recent years with plans to invest in solar and wind over the next two decades to reach “net zero” carbon emissions by 2045, the company said.

“We see this program as impact beyond energy,” Nauert said. “It is providing jobs to the area. There are also training and educational benefits. At the end of the day, it adds clean energy to the grid.”