Minnesota Greenlights Massive Solar Expansion Project
Minnesota officials have given the green light to a major solar energy project expansion that promises to be one of the nation’s largest. Xcel Energy, the utility behind the endeavor, anticipates it will have the capacity to power over 150,000 homes.
The state’s Public Utilities Commission has granted approval for the extension of the Sherco Solar project, adding a 250-megawatt array to an already-in-progress 460-megawatt array. Xcel Energy has set an ambitious goal to complete all phases of the project by 2025.
This impressive expansion comes with a price tag of approximately $406 million, bringing Xcel’s total investment in the project to an impressive $1 billion. When completed, the entire 710-megawatt project will have the capability to provide electricity for more than 150,000 homes each year.
The solar facility will be located near an existing coal-fired plant in Becker, Minnesota, situated to the northwest of Minneapolis. Once operational, it will take over the electricity generation duties from a coal-fired plant scheduled for closure later this year.
In alignment with its commitment to sustainability, Xcel Energy intends to shutter its three coal-fired plants in Becker by the year 2030.
Additionally, the Public Utilities Commission has given the green light to Xcel’s plan to procure electricity from a forthcoming 100-megawatt solar project in northwestern Wisconsin. The Apple River project, nestled in Polk County, northeast of the Twin Cities, ranks as one of Wisconsin’s most substantial solar initiatives.