Ameren Illinois solar: rebates, net metering and free quotes

Ameren Illinois delivers electricity across central and southern Illinois, from Peoria and Bloomington-Normal to Champaign-Urbana, Decatur and the Metro East. When you go solar, your installer applies to Ameren to connect the system, and Ameren tracks both the power you use and the power you send back.

For systems connected since January 1, 2025, exported power earns a credit at the supply rate (close to Ameren's Price to Compare) rather than the full retail rate. Power you use while the sun is shining still offsets the full price. Read more about Illinois net metering.

Ameren Illinois pays residential customers a one-time distributed generation rebate of about $300 per kW for new solar systems with a smart inverter. That's about $1,800 on a 6 kW system or $2,400 on an 8 kW system. Your installer typically handles the application.

There's also a storage rebate of about $300 per kWh for batteries, generally tied to enrolling in a time-based rate or peak-time program.

Illinois Shines sets REC prices by region, and Ameren territory has its own prices. Downstate homes also tend to have larger roofs and more open sun, which can mean bigger systems and bigger incentive payments. See Illinois Shines, explained.

Springfield is served by City Water, Light & Power (CWLP), a municipal utility, and many rural homes downstate get power from electric cooperatives. Those utilities set their own solar rules, so the Ameren rebate won't apply. You can still request a quote.