Show Me Center solar panels producing results for Cape Girardeau
In the past 12 months, the solar array has produced enough energy to power more than 130 homes
Southeast Missouri State University and Ameren Missouri are celebrating a bright anniversary. It has been just over one year since a 3,500-panel solar array at the Show Me Center began sending energy to the homes and businesses in the community.
Construction of the solar canopies at SEMO's Show Me Center began in October 2021.
“Since construction began, I’ve heard more good things about this project than any other we’ve done in the past decade,” said Russ Burger, southeast division director at Ameren Missouri. “It’s got people talking, and that’s great to hear. Seeing these panels every day reinforces how Ameren Missouri is expanding renewable energy generation while maintaining the reliability, resiliency and affordability our customers expect.”
Ameren Missouri built, owns and maintains the solar installation as part of its Neighborhood Solar Program. These projects also create local jobs and provide valuable training opportunities for the installation and maintenance of solar panels. The company partnered with the university to make use of the open land in the Show Me Center parking lot.
“We have a role to play in the future of this region – and that extends beyond our responsibility to our students,” said Dr. Carlos Vargas, president of Southeast Missouri State University. “This project has been a win-win for us, sparking interest in energy-related careers, providing sheltered parking for Show Me Center guests as well as contributing to clean energy generation for many years to come.”
The Neighborhood Solar Program is one aspect of Ameren Missouri’s Smart Energy Plan. In the past 12 months, a number of projects in the region have upgraded aging infrastructure and modernized the energy grid in order to enhance how customers receive and consume electricity for generations to come.
The projects include new smart technology in Gordonville, which will find and fix outages faster for nearly 500 residents in Cape Girardeau County. These smart technology upgrades deliver up to a 40% improvement in reliability on circuits using smart equipment switches.
Through the Smart Energy Plan, grid modernization projects and economic development programs continue to support customer reliability and boost vitality in the communities Ameren Missouri serves, providing Missourians with a smarter, stronger and cleaner energy future.