Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for Largest Solar Project in Minnesota

(KNSI) – A groundbreaking ceremony for the largest solar project in the upper Midwest marks a new era in harnessing the sun to electrify central Minnesota.

Xcel Energy is building the Sherco solar farm near Becker to help replace the energy created by its soon-to-be decommissioned coal-burning power plants. The sprawling 3,250-acre facility will generate 460 megawatts of power, enough for 100,000 homes. The project is a $690 million investment.

Xcel President and CEO of Minnesota and the Dakotas Chris Clark told KNSI News the solar array is about renewing its commitment to the community. “We’ve got the coal plant, we’ve got the nuclear plant, and we’re committed to Becker and to the surrounding area by the continuation of generation here by building the state’s largest solar facility. So, this is really part of central Minnesota continuing to be critical for us in the power generation business.”

He says the project is about continuing affordable, reliable, increasingly clean power for their customers. “Over half of our energy is carbon-free right now. By 2030, we’ll be about 85% carbon-free, and we’re on a journey to get to 100%. And we’ll get there without sacrificing affordability, or reliability-we’re committed to the future.”

The project includes the installation of state-of-the-art lithium-ion battery storage units that can hold solar power for four days instead of the current four hours. This will allow Xcel to store energy on sunny days and release it on cloudy days or when demand is high.

The solar farm will be the fifth-biggest in the nation when completed. The project should start producing power in 2025.

Meanwhile, Xcel Energy is proposing to build an additional 250 megawatts of solar near the Sherco site in the coming years. If approved, the combined projects’ 710-megawatts could power up to 150,000 homes.

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