Missouri doubles solar capacity with 430 MW facility with U.S.-made components

Construction has begun on the two-phase 430 MW Kelso Solar Project that developer Arevon reports had no opposition due to its impactful public engagement.

May 7, 2025 Anne Fischer

A 300 MW Arevon solar project in Nevada

Image: Arevon Energy

Arevon Energy started construction of the first phase of its $500 million Kelso Solar Project in Scott County, Missouri.

The 430 MW project will be built in two phases, with the first expected to achieve operation by the end of 2025 and construction of the second phase to begin in the first quarter 2026. Once complete, the two projects are expected to add nearly 50% to the state’s total solar capacity, which stood at 894 MW through the end of 2024, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). By adding an expected 3.5 GW of solar in the next five years, SEIA predicts that Missouri will jump from its current ranking of 36th in the nation in solar capacity to eighteenth.

During peak construction, Arevon expects more than 450 personnel to be employed to build the project, primarily sourced from local labor.

Both phases are being constructed by Primoris Services Corporation’s Renewable Energy business, an engineering, procurement and construction services specialist.

The facility is one of the first utility-scale solar plants to source all domestically produced products. Domestic content in solar projects is supported by the federal 45X and 48C supply-side tax credits, deployment incentives including the investment and production tax credits, and the domestic content tax credit adder. According to SEIA, since passage of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, 92 new solar and storage manufacturing facilities have come online because of federal manufacturing incentives and 53 facilities are under active construction.

Kevin Smith, Avevon CEO told pv magazine USA that the Kelso plants will include over 800,000 First Solar modules mounted on Nextracker trackers, along with 91 SMA inverters.

Last year Arevon announced it had signed two long-term environmental attribute agreements with Meta for energy generated by the Kelso plants. Environmental attribute agreements are a form of power purchase agreement where the environmental credits, such as emissions reductions, help the company to offset electricity use.

Meta signs agreements for solar power to offset the vast amount of electricity it uses in its data centers and says it’s matching 100% of its electricity use with renewables. Meta reports that it now has 6.7 GW of renewable energy online and 11.7 GW contracted.

Despite the size of the project, an Arevon spokesperson told pv magazine USA that there was no public opposition. “The public response (and local media response) has been very positive.” They attribute this to the company’s focus on “early, impactful and consistent community engagement, which was spearheaded by the CEO, Kevin Smith.”

Kelso Solar is estimated to disburse more than $34 million to local governments, supporting schools, infrastructure, and first responders over the lifetime of the project.

“Arevon has been very generous to Benton’s local businesses and our surrounding area,” said Mayor Simmons. “I am excited to see the positive impact Kelso Solar will have on our community.”

The list of Arevon’s local community engagement activities/donations includes:

Funding of a side-by-side vehicle to the Scott County Rural Fire Protection District, to assist fire-fighting efforts in challenging locations.
Donations to the Scott County R-IV School District for safety enhancements, construction equipment for the high school’s Future Farmers of America chapter, and other support geared toward educational advancements.
Participation in food distribution events for the Southeast Missouri Food Bank, which provides resources to hundreds of families facing food insecurity in the Blodgett area.
Donations of new soft play equipment and physical therapy mats as well as support to equip the Activities of Daily Living room for the Kenny Rogers Children’s Center, a pediatric out-patient therapy facility serving children with special needs.
Commitments to the City of Blodgett with the funds required to complete the construction of a secondary water well, an essential investment in public health and long-term infrastructure resilience.
Local establishments such as restaurants, hotels, and shops have positively benefited from the construction activities in the area. Throughout its multidecade operations, Kelso Solar is estimated to disburse more than $34 million to local governments, supporting schools, infrastructure, and first responders.

The financing package comprises a $245 million bridge loan, a $172 million construction loan and $92 million of credit support.

In addition to the Kelso projects, Arevon is expanding its presence in the Midwest region of the United States. The developer is currently constructing four solar projects totaling 744 MW in Indiana with capital costs of more than $1.1 billion. In total Arevon owns and operates more than 4.5 GW of renewable energy across 17 states, with another 1.9 GW under construction and a 6 GW development portfolio. Arevon reports that in the past 18 months, it has completed project financings of more than $3.7 billion.

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