Hundreds of households and businesses across Knox County will soon gain access to affordable renewable power as ENGIE North America (ENGIE) brings two new community solar farms online. The clean energy generated by these facilities will be made available to the state’s electric grid. Local residents and businesses subscribe to the solar farms through Ampion, a community solar subscription management company that will oversee subscriber enrollment and customer service.
The Knox 2A and Knox 2B projects, located in Galesburg, Illinois, will generate clean energy, cut carbon emissions and provide meaningful bill savings to local subscribers. Together, the two projects will produce more than 8.2 million kilowatt-hours annually, avoiding over 7,800 tons of carbon dioxide emissions – the same as taking 1,655 cars off the road for a year.
A community solar farm is a privately owned business established to capture energy from the sun and convert it into electricity that flows into the utility grid. Residents and businesses can subscribe to a share of the farm’s output and, in turn, receive credits on their monthly electricity bills that reduce costs. ENGIE owns and operates the Knox solar farms, while Ampion provides subscription management by enrolling new participants and supporting them as customers.
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Download free sample pages“Community solar is about more than clean power. It’s about ensuring that households – including those with the greatest need – share in the benefits of the shift to clean energy,” said Kristen Fornes, Head of Distributed Solar and Storage for ENGIE. “These projects in Knox County show how renewable energy can strengthen communities, reduce costs and create a healthier future for families.”
More than 60% of the subscriptions are reserved for low-to-moderate income households, who will qualify through existing federal and state programs such as LIHEAP, Medicaid, SNAP, and TANF. These households – along with other local subscribers – will receive 20% savings on the value of solar bill credits applied to their monthly electricity bills.
“Ampion is proud to work with ENGIE to help low-to-moderate income families in Illinois access the cost-saving benefits of community solar,” said Nate Owen, CEO & Founder of Ampion. “With the majority of the benefits reserved for households enrolled in programs like LIHEAP, Medicaid, and SNAP, these solar farms will deliver much-needed electricity savings. We look forward to working with ENGIE throughout the course of these projects, while ensuring subscribers receive real cost savings on their utility bills.”
In total, the Knox solar gardens will benefit 443 households and businesses, delivering economic relief and advancing Illinois’ goals for clean and equitable energy access.
