Around 50 people attend public meeting on 250-megawatt solar facility in Callaway County

FULTON, Mo. (KMIZ)

Roughly 50 people attended a public hearing Tuesday night in Fulton about a solar-energy facility that is expected to be built in Callaway County.

Ameren Missouri previously requested a certificate of convenience and necessity to be approved by March 31, 2026.

Tuesday night’s hearing was held at the Legends Rec-Plex on State Street in Fulton. Most people in attendance were in support of building the facility, which is known as the Reform Solar Project.

However, there were some concerns about the effects on farmland, potential rate increases, hazardous materials and benefits to residents.

Ameren said it June that it would restrict access to part of the Reform Conservation Area, near its nuclear power plant, to build the solar field. The project includes building a switching station that will connect to existing transmission lines.

The project, when finished, will cover about 1,000 acres of the 6,726-acre area, Ameren previously stated.