Sherco Solar Expansion Approved

(KNSI) – The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved Xcel Energy’s proposed solar expansion at the Sherco Plant Thursday.

The vote was unanimous and is expected to allow 710 megawatts on the Becker site, which includes the 460-megawatt array already under construction and an expansion with 250 megawatts of capacity.

All phases of the work should be complete by the end of 2025. The solar plant will be one of the largest in the country when it is done and a key part of Xcel’s goal of tripling its solar energy production in the Midwest. The Sherco plant will be able to power 150,000 homes each year.

Regional President Chris Clark says, “Sherco Solar will provide the lowest-cost solar on our Upper Midwest system, and these projects demonstrate our focus on clean energy without compromising affordability.”

The utility has now committed $1 billion to the site. It is also preparing to build a transmission cable from the wind farms in southwestern Minnesota to a hub located at the soon-to-be-closing coal-fired plant.

The generator stations will be shut down by the end of the decade as part of Xcel’s goal to dramatically reduce its carbon emissions by 2040. The new solar plant and other infrastructure are an attempt to offset the lost capacity when the Sherco closure happens.

The changes come with a hefty price tag. The PUC approved a $306 million rate increase over the next three years. Xcel had originally requested $677 million.

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