The City of Bloomington, Illinois, has partnered with PowerMarket on a community solar program for customers of Ameren Illinois. WEEK 25 News Now reported the partnership on August 29, 2026. Standard subscribers get 10% off, and low-income households can get up to 20%.
Why It Matters to You
If you’re a residential or small commercial Ameren Illinois customer, you can join without owning a roof or installing anything. Joining is free and, per the report, you can cancel at any time at no charge. The program is open across Ameren territory, not just to Bloomington residents, and enrollment is open now through PowerMarket. Whether you actually save depends on your contract.
How joining and the credits work
Eligibility rests on the utility, not on your roof. Any residential or small commercial customer in Ameren Illinois territory can enroll, according to Justin Cheger of The Stone River Group, a broker involved in the program. Enrolling puts your Ameren account on a solar project. Cheger said subscribers “save 10% off of your delivery and your supply.” The report says low-income households or individuals can get up to 20%, but it doesn’t list the qualifying programs or the documents required, so ask PowerMarket which proof it accepts.
A solar array elsewhere in Illinois sends power to the grid. Ameren then credits each subscriber for a share of that output, and the subscriber pays the provider according to the contract. The savings come from the gap between the two, so read your contract for the exact rate. The Illinois Power Agency says a seller may not claim customers are guaranteed to save money unless the contract contains an explicit, binding savings guarantee.
What’s unclear, and quick answers
The 10% figure applies to delivery and supply charges, per the program’s broker, and no independent check of a typical household’s dollar savings has been published. “Up to 20%” is a maximum. The report gives no array size, location, or developer, so how much clean power backs the program is unknown. It also gives no exact launch date, so the launch date isn’t confirmed.
How do I enroll, and do I have to live in Bloomington?
The report describes the program as specific to Ameren Illinois territory and doesn’t say you must live in the city. It lists PowerMarket’s phone line at 1-800-253-4333 and its email at [email protected]. Enrollment is also available on the PowerMarket website. Confirm the cancellation terms in your signed contract.
Is the saving guaranteed?
Only if your contract says so in binding terms. Ask for a sample bill that shows the credit, the subscription charge, and the net result.
Sources
- WEEK 25 News Now: Solar program aims to help Bloomington residents reduce energy costs (Aug 29, 2026)
- Illinois Power Agency: Illinois Shines and Illinois Solar for All 101 factsheet (Jan 15, 2025)