In 2015, ENGIE Distributed Solar launched a program to provide enhanced ecosystem service benefits from the ground cover under and around its solar arrays on arable soils. Today, the company has installed over 100 MW of pollinator-friendly solar projects, spanning over 600 acres across half a dozen states.
Center for Pollinators in Energy
Case Study: The 9.9 MW Solar Project in Science Magazine
The 9.9 MW Eagle Point pollinator-friendly solar project is located on 41 acres of agricultural land. Read about it!
Case Study: 907 acres of pollinator-friendly solar
Enel Green Power’s Aurora Solar project is one of the state’s first large-scale solar developments, having beat out gas on price when the project was approved in 2014. Completed in 2017, the project consists of 16 pollinator-friendly sites spread across central and southern Minnesota. The locations utilize a variety of stewardship practices, including flowering ground cover for bees and birds, low-growing grass meadows, sheep grazing, and adjacent honey bee hives.
Our Top 20 Accomplishments of 2020
The accelerating pace of climate change demands swift, bold action and we are rising to the challenge. To close the books on 2020, we’ve assembled this list of highlights. Together we made change happen!
Solar Farm Field Days
Many of Minnesota’s pollinator-friendly solar arrays are in full bloom right now. Check out photos from Rob’s three-day field trip where he captured the best of solar bees, blooms, and butterflies.
Legislative and Policy Goals Amidst COVID-19
With the end of session looming, the Minnesota Legislature has begun to hear consensus business, including some much needed clean energy initiatives.
