Xcel Energy’s plan to replace a major retiring coal plant, known as Sherco, with one of the largest solar farms the country has seen is officially underway.
According to the Star Tribune, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has voted unanimously to approve a site permit for the 250-megawatt solar facility. The project is the last of three to receive approval and is a significant milestone as the state moves toward a 100% carbon-free grid by 2040.
The site permit was the utility’s last hurdle, though construction cannot begin until Xcel makes several compliance filings with the state.
“It really positions the entire Sherco solar project to be the largest in the Upper Midwest and one of the few largest in the United States,” said Ryan Long, Xcel’s president in Minnesota.
The project, dubbed Sherco 3, will cost around $434 million to complete and will span about 1,780 acres. The three projects combined will cost over $1.1 billion and generate up to 710 MW of electricity, or enough power for about 150,000 homes.
The power will be crucial for Xcel as it loses traditional fuel sources and transitions to a carbon-free future. Xcel closed the first of the three coal-fired generators on December 31; the others are scheduled to retire in 2026 and 2030.
Read more here.