Minnesota Power to build over 200 megawatts of solar by mid-2027

DULUTH — Minnesota Power announced plans to build two new solar projects capable of producing more than 200 megawatts of electricity.

The Duluth-based utility said in a news release Monday it would build an 85-megawatt solar facility at its Boswell Energy Center coal-fired plant in Cohasset and a 119.5-megawatt solar facility in Royalton by mid-2027. The two projects combined will produce enough electricity to power nearly 50,000 homes, said Minnesota Power spokesperson Amy Rutledge.

The sites were selected after a competitive bidding process. Rutledge said a cost estimate would be included in regulatory filings with state regulators within the next two months.

The announcement comes almost two years after regulators approved the utility's integrated resource plan, which outlines the next 15 years of expected energy demands and sources. The announcement Monday represents two-thirds of the solar power called for by the plan.

As part of that plan, Minnesota Power agreed to add 700 megawatts of renewable energy — 400 megawatts of wind and 300 megawatts of solar — as it aims to retire its two remaining coal-fired units by 2030 and 2035. State law requires utilities to produce all carbon-free electricity by 2040.

"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," Allete Vice President and Minnesota Power Chief Operating Officer Josh Skelton said in a news release. "Both projects include preferences for local labor, diverse suppliers, and apprenticeships to train tomorrow's renewable energy workforce."

The Boswell solar facility will include 180,000 bifacial solar modules, which produce power on both sides of panels, across 600 acres of land partially owned by Minnesota Power, the company said. The Boswell Energy Center is already there, so the project will use existing infrastructure and only require a collector substation and short transmission line to reach the grid.

Skelton said the Boswell solar project "will support one of our existing host communities as we continue to plan for the future."

The Royalton project, Regal Solar, calls for 255,000 bifacial solar modules across 800 acres and will require a new substation and a 3.5-mile transmission line to reach the grid.

The projects are far larger than any of Minnesota Power's existing solar projects. The current largest, a solar array in Cass County, can produce 15.2 megawatts of electricity.