Xcel Energy Marks Milestone in Upper Midwest’s Largest Solar Project, Paving the Way for Clean Energy Transition in Minnesota

(KNSI) – Xcel Energy leadership, Sherburne County community members, and Governor Tim Walz were in Becker Tuesday to mark the completion of the first phase of the largest solar project in the Upper Midwest.

Jake Judd/KNSI News

Ryan Long is Xcel’s President for Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. He explains the company is using two types of batteries for storage when the power isn’t needed. “We’ve got lithium ion batteries, which are kind of four hour duration batteries throughout our system. And those really solve a lot of interesting problems in terms of storing energy when we don’t need it to deliver it to customers, and being able to deliver it when the sun isn’t shining or the wind’s not blowing. But we’re also investing in our form battery project, which is a 100 hour, 10 megawatt battery. It’s a demonstration size, but we’re confident that that is going to solve much bigger problems on the grid. And if that is successful, after we pilot it in this demonstration project, we’ll look to scale that up on our system as well.”

This project is the largest coal redevelopment site in the country, and one of the first places in the country, and in the world to have a long term iron battery storage, which Governor Walz calls a game changer.

The utility is adding solar farms in that area to replace the coal fired Sherco Generating Plant. Sherco 2 went offline late last year. The other two are set to be retired in phases by 2030. Once fully complete in 2026, the 710-megawatt project will generate enough low-cost, carbon-free electricity to power 150,000 homes. It also moves the state closer to meeting its goal of transitioning to 100% clean energy by 2040.

Long adds it’s important to have a diverse energy mix with wind, solar, and nuclear power and then fill in the gaps with natural gas which Xcel can turn on to beet reliability needs during the hottest days of summer and the most bone chilling of temps in the winter.

Walz says this will benefit not just central Minnesota, but all corners of the state for job creation, reliability and energy prices. He credited lawmakers on both sides of the aisle for being speedy when it came to the permitting process.

KNSI News Director Jennifer Lewerenz contributed to this story.

___