Savion LLC, a Shell Plc portfolio company, has announced the completion of the sale of a 150-MW solar project in Illinois to Ameren Corporation’s electric and gas service division in Missouri.

Solar Project To Power 27,500 Homes Annually

The Cass County Solar Project covers approximately 1,700 acres near Beardstown. Once completed, the facility will feature up to 330,000 solar modules, generating enough clean electricity to power around 27,500 homes annually — based on the average electricity use of Ameren customers. The Cass County site, slated for completion by the end of the year, will then begin contributing to the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) power grid.

This solar energy will contribute to Ameren's Renewable Solutions program which offers renewable energy to businesses that pay a premium to achieve their environmental objectives. Companies such as Walmart, World Wide Technologies, SSM Health and Mastercard are currently participants in this program.

"Industrial customers participating in the Renewable Solutions program help offset some of the costs for renewables, thereby providing benefits to everyone," said Scott Wibbenmeyer, Ameren’s senior director of renewable business development.

Savion's Missouri Solar Project

Savion Energy secured project permits in 2020 and began construction in June 2023, creating approximately 250 local union jobs. In June, Ameren Missouri received approval and a certificate of convenience and necessity from the Missouri Public Service Commission. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.

Savion President, Nick Lincon, stated: "We congratulate and express gratitude to our partner, Ameren Missouri, for their commitment to bringing the Cass County Solar Project to fruition. This journey has been filled with excitement, necessitating close collaboration between our organizations to develop Savion's inaugural utility-scale solar project in Illinois. We extend sincere thanks to the local community, landowners and stakeholders for their invaluable support."

Ameren aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2045. Its plan includes using natural gas, a fossil fuel that is cleaner than coal but still produces greenhouse gases. According to its latest integrated resource plan, the company intends to compensate for these emissions through carbon capture or offsets.

Savion’s Commitment to Sustainable Energy

Savion Energy operates as Royal Dutch Shell PLC's utility-scale solar energy development platform. The company was established in March 2019 following its spin-off from Tradewind Energy, previously owned by Green Investment Group Ltd., a subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd.

With a team of over 200 employees, Savion oversees a portfolio exceeding 43.3 GW of electricity across 31 states in the US. With approximately 150 projects in various stages of development, Savion continues to expand its footprint in renewable energy production nationwide.