Neighborhood Solar was a program introduced as part of Ameren Missouri's Smart Energy Plan to build small-scale solar owned and financed by Ameren Missouri at neighborhood nonprofits, schools and other community partners. These sites provide clean energy to the grid while also serving as hubs of renewable workforce development and solar education across our service territory.
The program was one way Ameren Missouri is delivering on a commitment to support renewable development in diverse communities.
There are many ways Neighborhood Solar is benefiting communities in Ameren Missouri's service territory, from workforce development to grid resiliency to environmental benefits. By investing more than $14 million in renewable energy projects within neighborhoods where our customers live, work, and play, Ameren Missouri is making renewable energy visible, accessible, and providing it as a local amenity, complete with shaded parking and LED lighting.
In addition, Ameren Missouri provided job and training opportunities to members of the local community where we were building. This provided valuable experience and equitable career access in the growing field of renewable energy installation.
Finally, Ameren Missouri's site selection supported environmental justice by adding clean energy to the grid in historically under-served areas or affected by the urban heat island effect. We understand the value of conscious investment during the clean energy transition that corrects historical environmental injustices.