Geronimo Power Breaks Ground on Bee Hollow Solar in Illinois

150-MW solar project located in St. Clair County, Illinois will contribute $54 million in direct economic impact to the local area

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct. 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Geronimo Power (Geronimo) announced today the start of onsite construction at its 150-megawatt (MW) Bee Hollow Solar (Bee Hollow) project in St. Clair County, Illinois within the Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) market. The project is expected to bring substantial economic benefits to the local community in the form of new tax revenue, jobs, local spending and charitable giving.

"We are thrilled to begin construction on the Bee Hollow Solar project, bringing forth new jobs and tax revenue for the community and further demonstrating our commitment to bolstering economic growth in rural America," said Nathan Franzen, Chief Project Delivery Officer at Geronimo. "These communities are the lifeblood of America's Heartland and we're proud to see projects like Bee Hollow make a real impact."

In total, Bee Hollow is anticipated to contribute $54 million in direct economic impact to the local area, including $17 million in new tax revenue which will be distributed to the local county, township and school districts over the first 20 years of operations. The project community will also benefit from a dedicated charitable fund, which is pledged above and beyond any tax revenue delivered by the project. These charitable funds are unique to Geronimo Power, exemplifying their commitment to being good neighbors in their projects' host communities.

Burns & McDonnell, a national engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) firm, will construct the Bee Hollow project, which will sustain upwards of 200 construction jobs during the process. The project has a previously announced power purchase agreement with the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA).

"Burns & McDonnell is proud to be the EPC contractor for Geronimo Power at the Bee Hollow Solar Site in St. Clair County in a continuation of the two organizations' partnership to deliver electricity through power generation facilities to the grid," said Scott Tucci, Site Construction Project Manager in the Power group at Burns & McDonnell. "A project of this scale is a collaborative effort, and we look forward to working closely with the region's union skilled craft professionals and local subcontractors to bring this project to life."

"IMEA is excited to see the start of construction on Bee Hollow—our agency's largest investment thus far in renewable energy," said IMEA President and CEO Kevin Gaden. "With the addition of this solar project, we continue to diversify our portfolio in an economical fashion while transitioning to a more resilient, reliable and sustainable energy future."

Anticipated to begin operation in late 2026, Bee Hollow is anticipated to generate enough clean, renewable, local energy to provide the equivalent electrical usage of an estimated 45,600 homes each year. Additionally, using the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, the project is estimated to offset carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 219,100 metric tons annually – the equivalent of taking an estimated 51,100 cars off the road for one year.

About Geronimo Power
Geronimo Power (formerly National Grid Renewables) develops, owns and operates large-scale power assets throughout America's Heartland, including solar, wind and energy storage. As a farmer-founded and community-focused business, Geronimo Power equips landowners and rural communities with sustainable revenue to ignite local economic growth. To learn more about Geronimo Power, visit www.geronimopower.com or follow the company on LinkedIn.

Media Inquiries
Contact: Emily Morissette
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
Geronimo Power
[email protected]
612-504-4839

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SOURCE Geronimo Power