Solar Power World – Ameresco planning 27-MW solar brownfield project in Illinois

Ameresco, an energy efficiency and renewable energy company, announced that it will develop a 27-MW solar farm in DePue, Illinois. Upon completion, the DePue solar farm will be the largest in Bureau County and in the company’s history, and will directly advance the state’s goal of reaching 25% renewable energy by 2025.

Ameresco will be the developer, builder and owner of the DePue solar farm, which will consist of more than 71,000 solar PV panels installed on ballast blocks. It is estimated to produce 37,000 MWh of green, emission-free energy in its first year of operation.

“The Village of DePue is very happy to be the home of the Ameresco Solar project and is looking forward to working with them to make it a reality,” said Eric Bryant, village president.

Construction of the DePue solar farm is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2020 and reach completion later that year. The village will collect permitting fees during the site’s development process, as well as approximately $10,000 annually upon its completion. Those funds will help offset the Village’s energy costs. In addition, the county will collect increased property tax revenue from the project completion.

“Solar is a powerful renewable energy resource for a community like DePue as well as Bureau County, both of which stand to benefit economically while this development also closely aligns with the environmental objectives of the state of Illinois,” said Louis P. Maltezos, executive VP of Ameresco. “Ameresco has had tremendous success in the beneficial repurposing of existing land and we are looking forward to working closely with the village to bring renewable energy to their local community.”

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