Taylorville chosen as first community in Ameren Illinois' new Energize Your Town program

TAYLORVILLE, Ill. (WAND) — Taylorville is taking center stage in a new effort aimed at helping residents, businesses and public buildings cut energy costs and improve efficiency.

Ameren Illinois selected Taylorville as the first community to participate in its new Energize Your Town pilot program, an initiative designed to bring energy-saving resources directly to communities across central and southern Illinois.

The program connects residents, businesses and local governments with Ameren Illinois energy efficiency experts who help identify ways to reduce energy usage, improve comfort and lower utility bills through education, assessments, incentives and rebates.

"We're really looking to bring all of what our program does for residents and businesses and public sector buildings and communities, really trying to bring it with purpose to a singular town," said Robert Rusteberg, residential energy efficiency program supervisor with Ameren Illinois. "We're working directly with the leadership in that town to identify where our projects and programs are really best served and can provide the most good for that community."

Ameren Illinois officials have spent months meeting with Taylorville leaders, business owners and community organizations to identify local opportunities where energy efficiency improvements could have the biggest impact.

According to Rusteberg, the utility has worked closely with Mayor Bruce Barry, members of the Taylorville Chamber of Commerce, and other community leaders to better understand local needs before launching projects.

"What we've been doing here in Taylorville is working with city leadership and listening and hearing where they have opportunities or challenges throughout Taylorville that our energy efficiency programs and incentive dollars and rebate funding can best be delivered," he said.

The effort comes as many families and businesses continue to grapple with rising utility costs. Through the program, participants may qualify for incentives that help offset the cost of upgrades such as insulation improvements, HVAC replacements and energy-efficient LED lighting.

Rusteberg said those improvements can create immediate and long-term savings.

"Customers that participate in our program here in Taylorville get to see both the savings on their energy bills and paying lower costs for their Ameren Illinois energy bill, as well as seeing some of the cost of the project paid by Ameren Illinois programs," he said.

Mayor Bruce Berry said Ameren first approached city leaders about the concept more than a year ago. Now that the pilot is officially underway, he believes the initiative could make a meaningful difference for residents.

"Everyone's complaining about their electric bill nowadays," Berry said. "This is an opportunity for them to find out how their house or home can be more efficient. So I think it's a win-win."

Berry said Ameren representatives have already established a presence throughout the community, attending events and distributing information to residents. That outreach will continue throughout the summer and fall.

"I just think it's an exciting time for Taylorville residents to participate in this program," Berry said.

Several local projects are already underway through Energize Your Town.

Ameren Illinois officials said upcoming work includes energy-efficiency improvements at the Christian County Courthouse, along with additional municipal and community facilities. Barry noted that other organizations, including the YMCA, the Coal Miners Museum and local schools, have already benefited from assistance connected to Ameren's energy-efficiency efforts.

"I think it's great," Berry said. "Residents can come and get an energy-efficient assessment, and I think it's great."

Ameren officials said Taylorville was selected because it represents the type of community that may not always receive the same level of direct engagement as larger cities located along major transportation corridors.

"Our energy efficiency program has been operating since 2008, and we've served a lot of communities throughout Illinois," Rusteberg said. "But we're finding that there are some communities that we can serve further. Taylorville is a community that is a little off the beaten path, maybe not next to a highway like other communities. We're making a deliberate effort to hear and listen to what the challenges and opportunities are in Taylorville."

The Energize Your Town pilot is expected to continue through the remainder of 2026, with Ameren Illinois representatives attending community events, meeting with residents and helping identify additional opportunities for energy savings.

City leaders hope the partnership will not only reduce utility costs but also strengthen community facilities and improve the quality of life for residents across Taylorville.