Missouri is considering a major push into large-scale solar through Ameren Missouri’s proposed Callaway Solar Project.
Solar power in the state has nearly tripled in recent years, with utility-scale capacity expected to grow by hundreds of megawatts in 2026, even as coal still supplies most of the state’s electricity. The Missouri Public Service Commission gave residents a chance to weigh in on the issue at a virtual public hearing last week.
Elyse Schaeffer, policy coordinator for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, spoke in favor of the project.
"MCE supports the proposed Callaway Solar Project, which is a sound investment in Missourians’ health, in our energy independence, and in our economic security," Schaeffer said. "For these reasons, I urge the Public Service Commission to vote 'yes' on this proposal."
The commission is expected to rule on Ameren's proposal later this spring, and while many are on board with the project, some are expressing concern, warning moving too quickly away from fossil fuels could strain the power grid.
Nationally, solar is now the fastest-growing source of new electricity, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration projecting it will account for more than half of all new power-generation capacity added this year.
Walter Roth, a Missouri resident, said the pace concerns him.
"The Department of Energy’s Resource Adequacy Report further predicts that power outages could surge by up to a hundred times by 2030 if reliable sources, fossil fuel plants or nuclear, are retired prematurely," said Roth.
Jennifer DeRose, Missouri organizing strategist for the Sierra Club, contends Missouri has the ability and the need to create most of its own energy without subjecting itself to outside forces threatening its independence.
"We need to be focused on energy independence, we need to be focused on energy reliability and energy security," DeRose argued. "We need projects that stabilize or lower costs for households."
If approved, the facility would begin serving customers in 2028.
This story was originally published by Missouri News Service, a partner with KRCU Public Radio.
