Ameren has partnered with the nonprofit group Delmar DivINe to install solar panels in St. Louis, a project that is expected to create jobs and expand clean energy in an underserved area.
This is the latest project in Ameren’s Neighborhood Solar Program which partners with non-residential customers, such as schools or non-profits, to install solar panels at no cost to the organization.
At Delmar DivINe, solar panels will be installed above its parking lot on Belt Avenue, creating a solar canopy that will provide shade and weather protection, according to Ameren. It is a $1.5 million investment.
“Our mission is to be a catalyst for the transformation of the communities north of Delmar Boulevard, and we are always looking for ways to give neighborhoods the up-to-date resources they rightly deserve to build a brighter tomorrow,” Jorge Riopedre, the Delmar DivINe executive director, said. “Partnering with Ameren Missouri will help ensure the community we serve has access to a more reliable and efficient energy grid.”
The solar panels are expected to be in service by 2023 and will generate enough energy to power more than 30 homes for one year. It is expected to create about two dozen local construction jobs.
“Ameren Missouri has been intentional about investing in north St. Louis communities so we’re pleased that Delmar DivINe was open to partnering on this project,” Patrick Smith, vice president of economic, community, and business development at Ameren Missouri, said. “Not only will this installation add jobs and increase awareness of solar energy at the local level, it will also bring tangible benefits to nearby customers. Having renewable energy generation closer to neighborhoods reduces system costs while increasing energy grid reliability and efficiency for everyone.”
Ameren said it also plans to provide renewable energy education to the community and invest $300,000 in Delmar DevINe. The non-profit serves as a hub for economic and community development in St. Louis with meeting spaces and studios.
Last year, Ameren teamed up with Habitat for Humanity and ReStore to construct solar panel canopies in St. Louis. It is also constructing canopies on Southeast Missouri State University’s Cape Girardeau campus.
Kaitlyn Schallhorn was the editor in chief of The Missouri Times from 2020-2022. She joined the newspaper in early 2019 after working as a reporter for Fox News in New York City.
Throughout her career, Kaitlyn has covered political campaigns across the U.S., including the 2016 presidential election, and humanitarian aid efforts in Africa and the Middle East.
She is a native of Missouri who studied journalism at Winthrop University in South Carolina. She is also an alumna of the National Journalism Center in Washington, D.C.
Contact Kaitlyn at kaitlyn@themissouritimes.com.
