North Star Solar Facility in North Branch (Photo credit: Swinerton Renewable Energy)
A ribbon-cutting this morning in North Branch on the largest single solar energy facility in the Midwest and one of the largest in the nation. Xcel Energy’s Matt Lindstrom says, “This project is massive. We’re talking more than 440-thousand solar panels spanning about a thousand acres in Chisago County.” The 100-megawatt facility will generate enough electricity to power more than 20-thousand homes. The North Branch solar array is expected to come on-line in December. Xcel will purchase power from the facility as part of a 25-year deal.
“We are very committed to solar and renewables,” Lindstrom says. “As part of our resource plan that was recently approved, we’re hoping to achieve 35 percent renewable energy by 2030.”
Here’s the complete interview: