New alternate Xcel Energy plan removes gas power plant, adds clean renewable energy

An alternate long-range energy plan filed Friday by Xcel Energy removes a proposed gas power plant and adds significant renewable energy, reflecting a welcome and necessary realignment with the utility company’s promise to achieve a carbon-free electric system by 2050.

Case Study: NextEra Energy’s Marshall Solar Array on Prime Farmland

Constructed in 2016, the 62 MW Marshall Solar Energy Project is located on 355 acres of agricultural land in Lyon County, three miles east of Marshall, Minnesota. Partly in response to several visual renderings of the project showing acres of closely mowed suburban-style turfgrass, the proposed project received little support and drew active pushback from residents who were concerned about the loss of prime farmland and how it could affect their property values.

Data Dive: New numbers show Minnesota’s carbon-free progress

There’s a lot going on behind the scenes when we flip the light switch, turn on the tv, or plug in an electric vehicle for at-home charging. Whatever its source, energy must be harnessed or collected, then transported, before it can be used to power our homes and businesses.