Another project of National Grid Renewables – in South Dakota.
National Grid Renewables, based in Minnesota, announced the start of the activities at the Fillmore County Solar and Louise Solar Projects, located in the south of Minnesota within the MidContinent Independent System Operator (Miso) market. Together, the Fillmore and Louise projects deliver a combined 95 MW of clean, own solar energy.
“Our roots started and remain planted in Minnesota, so it is useful to see that these two projects come to life in our own backyard,” said Blake Nixon, President and CEO of National Grid Renewables. “We have been working with Xcel Energy for more than ten years and we are incredibly proud to continue our long -term relationship with them to offer clean, sustainable energy solutions to residents in the state of Minnesota.”
Xcel Energy has carried out power purchase agreements with both Fillmore and Louise projects.
“While we are transferring our electric grid to fully carbon -free sources, we must also ensure that it has the capacity to meet unprecedented increases in demand due to a more electrified economy, driven by the increasing prevalence of electric vehicles, data centers and more , “said Ryan Long, president of Xcel Energy – Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. “The installations of Fillmore and Louise take us one step closer to that future and serve our customers both here and over the upper midwest with extra renewable energy.”
In honor of the addition of these new projects to their Midwest portfolio, National Grid Renewables organized a “Own soil Minnesolar” last summer with landowners, members of the community and project partners, with an emphasis on the many benefits of the projects for local and national communities.
Fillmore and Louise were built by Berry Construction Company. Combined, Fillmore and Louise employed 300 employees during the construction process. In the first 20 years of the activities, the projects are expected to contribute more than $ 30 million to direct economic impact, including more than $ 4 million in new tax revenues that need to be distributed to local townships and provinces. Above these benefits, the projects will contribute to a combined $ 380,000 in the same period through special education funds; These donations will support the school districts in Southland and Leroy-Optander.
News item from National Grid Renewables