In spite of a split-control legislature, 2021 has been an incredibly impactful year for energy at the State Capitol with significant investments in solar energy, policy support for a just and equitable transition, innovative decarbonization strategies, and more.
solar
Diamond Cut Lawn Care pioneers on-the-go solar-powered lawn equipment
When Adam St. Pierre inherited a lawn care company from a high school friend, he couldn’t known solar-powered lawn care was in his future.
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.
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.
Xcel Energy is Fined $1 Million for Solar Interconnection Problems
Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has made a strong statement that utilities must do better, voting to fine Xcel Energy $1 million for the company’s poor service to solar customers in 2019.
