Equity Solar Illinois (ESI) today announced the energization of Beard Solar, the first community solar project to be combined with a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Ameren Illinois’s territory. This follows the company’s announcement in October 2025 of the first similar project in ComEd territory.
Situated in Beardstown, Illinois, the project illustrates the growing importance of pairing solar and energy storage to bring more clean, reliable, affordable energy to the state’s grid. Beard Solar will enable subscribers like local small businesses to reduce energy costs and provide additional tax revenue to local taxing bodies. Beardstown Community Unit School District 15, for example, will receive roughly $205,000 in tax revenue over the life of the project (approximately 20 years).
“Beard Solar underscores the vital role storage plays in modernizing our energy grid and expanding access to the benefits of clean energy,” said Rena Henderson Mason, Equity Solar Illinois Principal. “This project reflects ESI’s commitment to pairing clean energy development with community impact to build a grid that serves everyone.”
The BESS stores excess solar energy produced during the day, discharging it at night when the photovoltaic array is not generating power. This offers significant economic and environmental benefits, along with contributing to grid stability and resilience.
The 6.9-MWdc community solar project includes an 11.9-MWh energy storage system owned by ESI and developed and designed in a collaboration between project developer US Solar and battery integrator Eneon-ES.
“We’re proud to contribute to a first-of-its-kind clean energy project in Ameren Illinois territory,” said Huang lu, Chief Technical Officer at Eneon. “By pairing solar with storage, this project delivers firm, dispatchable power and strengthens grid resiliency for Illinois communities."
With the recent passing of the Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, the future is brighter than ever for energy storage in Illinois. The CRGA Act includes numerous provisions that promote the wider use of energy storage systems to enhance grid services and improve energy reliability and affordability for all Illinoisans. Beard Solar exemplifies the kind of energy storage projects enabled and supported by the legislation, providing a flexible resource that can target clean, renewable generation to the highest hours of need on the electric system and paving the way for future projects to follow in its footsteps.
“Distributed energy is a critical grid resource that can be readily deployed to meet the growing demand for electricity,” said Rob Ritchie, Vice President of Energy Storage at US Solar. “With the new opportunities enabled by the CRGA Act, we look forward to working on more projects like Beard Solar to meet Illinois’ environmental, reliability, and affordability goals.”
Ameren Illinois, which serves more than 1.2 million customers across the downstate region, applauded the project for its benefit to the grid.
“Ameren Illinois is proud to support innovative projects like Beard Solar that accelerate our state’s transition to cleaner energy,” said Langston Rose, West Region Electric Director at Ameren Illinois. “By partnering with renewable energy developers and embracing forward-thinking solutions, such as community solar paired with energy storage, we are helping to build a more reliable and sustainable grid for all our customers. Our commitment is to work hand in hand with our partners to deliver the benefits of clean energy to communities across Illinois.”
Community Solar is a program that enables residents and businesses to take part in the renewable energy transition and lower their electricity costs without installing panels on their roofs. Participants who subscribe to a community solar project receive credits on their monthly electric bill. Beard Solar’s subscribers are made up mostly of small commercial businesses.
Other key project details of Beard Solar:
· Located in Beardstown, IL, the project consists of 12,038 solar modules covering nearly 30 acres.
· Without batteries, Beard Solar would produce roughly 8 million kWh in its first year, or enough energy to power approximately 950 homes. The 12-MWh battery energy storage system extends the energy output of the site, enabling it to deliver power for an additional 3-4 hours beyond sunset. With that battery energy storage system, the energy production jumps to 11 million kWh in the first year — powering an extra 350 homes for a total of 1,300 homes!
· The site has been planted and seeded with new pollinators and low-growth native species, which support critical pollinators like butterflies and bees.
About ESI: Equity Solar Illinois was founded in 2022 as a partnership between Chicago community leaders and solar development firm US Solar. Its mission is to advance clean, renewable energy options in the state. ESI is committed to engaging the communities we serve, from local farmers to nonprofit leaders, to ensure all voices are heard and included in Illinois’ clean energy transition. Learn more at equitysolaril.com, and follow ESI on LinkedIn.
