Minnesota Power, a subsidiary of ALLETE Inc, has unveiled plans to construct two new solar parks, aiming to enhance its renewable energy portfolio in Minnesota by over 200 MW. The announcement was made on Monday, highlighting the company's commitment to sustainable energy solutions.
The new solar facilities will be situated in northern Minnesota and are projected to commence operations by mid-2027. These projects emerged as winners from a competitive bidding process in Minnesota Power's 2023 solar request for proposals.
The first project, the Regal photovoltaic (PV) park, will boast an installed capacity of 119.5 MW. Located near Royalton, it will feature 255,000 bifacial modules spread across 800 acres. The facility will connect to the grid through a 3.5-mile collector line.
Additionally, Minnesota Power will establish the Boswell solar farm in Cohasset, contributing another 85 MW of power generation capacity with 180,000 bifacial modules.
These initiatives are part of Minnesota Power's strategy to meet the up to 300-MW solar power requirement outlined in its Integrated Resource Plan. Both projects will require approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC).
Josh Skelton, CEO of Minnesota Power, commented, “These projects will help move us toward our goal of providing more than 80% renewable energy by 2030 while working toward meeting the state of Minnesota law calling for carbon-free energy supplies by 2040.”
