Minnesota's largest coal plant's infrastructure now powers 1.7 million solar panels

In Becker, Minnesota, the Sherburne County Generating Station, once the state's largest coal plant, is now facilitating the operation of the largest solar facility in Minnesota. Xcel Energy announced the completion of the third phase of its Sherco Solar project on July 21, bringing its capacity to 710 megawatts generated by 1.7 million solar panels.

What makes this development particularly noteworthy is that the Sherco Solar facility feeds into the grid using the transmission infrastructure and interconnection rights of the former coal plant. This allows the 710 megawatts of solar power to flow through the same wires that have carried electricity from the coal giant since 1976. This method of reusing existing interconnection rights can drastically cut down the time it takes for new power sources to connect to the U.S. transmission grid.

New power plants typically face a lengthy process to join the grid, involving studies and system upgrades, often leading to significant delays. However, the Midcontinent Independent System Operator allows the owner of a retiring plant up to three years to reuse its interconnection rights for a replacement resource. This "use it or lose it" provision enabled Xcel Energy to expedite the solar project's connection, potentially cutting connection times from the five-year average to under one year, as estimated by the nonprofit RMI. Consulting firm CEO Rob Gramlich described it as a "Disney pass to skip the line."

The construction of the solar plant proceeded rapidly. Initial power flowed in late October 2024, with subsequent phases completed through 2025 and the final phase concluding this month. The completed Sherco Solar site now spans thousands of acres, generating enough electricity to power approximately 150,000 homes within Xcel's Upper Midwest service area.

“

somebody just has this Disney pass to skip the line.