The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved a $40.9 million investment proposed by Minnesota Power to build three solar facilities in Northern Minnesota. The Laskin, Sylvan, and Duluth city solar arrays will generate 21 MW of power.
The projects include a 9.6 MW array at Minnesota Power’s Laskin Energy Center, a 10 MW array near the company’s Sylvan Hydro Station, and a 1.6 MW array in the city of Duluth.
The projects will use solar panels manufactured in Mountain Iron, Minnesota, by Heliene Inc., and make use of existing electrical infrastructure. Construction will get underway this summer with the arrays expected to be generating electricity in 2022.
Last year, regulators asked utilities to consider accelerating planned investments to support the state’s economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
