Missouri is reaching for the sun with its latest enhancements.
Construction Dive reported that the state will be the site of the Kelso Solar Project, a $500 million, 430-megawatt development from Arevon Energy, an offshoot of utility and energy contractor Primoris Services Corp.
Arizona-based renewable energy developer Arevon will own and operate the solar facility after Dallas-headquartered Primoris Services Corp. builds it, with the first phase set to be operational in the final quarter of 2025.
"Kelso Solar marks Arevon's entrance into Missouri, and when operational, [it] will boost the state's installed solar capacity by almost 50%," said Kevin Smith, Arevon's chief executive officer, in a press release.
In addition to supplying the state with clean energy, Missouri will get an economic boost through employing over 450 mostly local workers during the construction phase. What's more, over $34 million from the facility will go to local governments during the project's lifespan.
Such state action can help mitigate the ongoing issues related to a warming climate and increased atmospheric heat, which has created more extreme weather patterns.
Such weather can bring heavy storms that down power lines, while heat waves can stress grids from excessive AC usage. As an example of the former, over 20,000 people were left without power in St. Louis after storms in May.
However, residents with non-grid-reliant solar panels and battery backups to store that energy can still have power during area blackouts. Plus, large solar panel projects can stabilize and add flexibility to the grid, per Qcells.
Other areas are also in on the solar charge. Hundreds of thousands of homes will get power from the Cowboy Solar farm in Wyoming, which is set for completion by 2027. In California, the Camino Solar project will charge about 14,000 homes after installing 100,000 units of solar modules.
In the growing conversion to electrification, people and the planet benefit more from solar panel installation by not having electricity sourced from dirty fuels that pollute the air.
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But large-scale initiatives like the one in Missouri aren't the only way to benefit from solar energy. Reducing pollution and increasing energy self-reliance can begin by contacting EnergySage, a free source to compare solar quotes and take the first step towards a potential $0 electric bill.
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