A major solar energy project is underway in Scott County, and its developers say it could eventually provide power for more than 66,000 homes.
Arevon Energy, a utility-scale solar and energy storage company with projects in 17 states, is building the Kelso 1 and 2 solar farms just off Interstate 55. Arevon Energy is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, with a regional office in New York City. They also have offices in other locations, including a Murphysboro office in Illinois, according to a news release from Arevon.
The combined project will span around 2,500 acres and be completed in two phases — the first by the end of 2025 and the second in early 2026.
“This facility would generate enough electricity for 66,000 homes,” said Arevon CEO Kevin Smith. “We connect our projects into the main transmission system, and then it’s distributed to the users in the region.”
Though the power from the Kelso site is under contract with Meta — the parent company of Facebook — Smith says the electricity will ultimately be delivered to the regional grid and used by homes and businesses in the area. Meta receives the environmental and financial benefits through what’s known as a virtual power purchase agreement, according to the EPA.
Smith emphasized the small footprint of solar compared to overall farmland use, calling solar an “energy crop.”
“We’re utilizing about 1% of the farmland acreage in Scott County,” Smith said. “You could generate all of the electricity for Missouri with about 1% of the farmland in the state.”
In addition to the project’s energy contributions, Arevon estimates that Kelso Solar will disburse more than $34 million to local governments, benefiting schools, infrastructure, and emergency services over time.
Arevon has also made several community-focused contributions during the project’s development. These include:
- Donating a side-by-side vehicle to the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District
- Supporting safety upgrades and agricultural education programs in the Scott County R-IV School District
- Partnering with the Southeast Missouri Food Bank to assist families in the Blodgett area.
- Supported the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center by providing soft play and therapy equipment
- Helped fund the construction of a secondary water well for the City of Blodgett
Smith also says solar energy is now the most cost-effective source of new power generation in the U.S.
“Once you establish your capital cost, we typically price our projects at a flat rate for 20-plus years,” Smith said. “It’s much cheaper than retail rates — and there's no fuel requirement.”
Arevon is also exploring the use of native plants, pollinator habitats, and sheep grazing on the land, practices Smith says fall under the emerging field of “agrivoltaics,” which blends agriculture with solar power generation.
