(KNSI) – The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission gave final approval Thursday for the Sherco Solar farm, which was expected.
Xcel Energy will spend an undisclosed amount to build a complex that can supply around 460 megawatts by 2025. Xcel, along with Minnesota Power and Great River Energy, will be building transmission lines to help deliver power from other parts of the state to the area.
The new capacity is an attempt to offset the loss of the Sherco coal plant. It consists of three generating stations, all of which will be taken offline by the turn of the decade. It is the largest power plant in Minnesota, producing 2,500 megawatts of electricity.
The solar facility will span 3,500 acres and generate 460 megawatts under ideal conditions. Xcel says it wants to have a carbon-free energy grid by 2050. To move in that direction, the company is striving to triple its solar power capacity by 2028.
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