(St. Paul)--The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission has approved site permits for a big solar power generation and energy storage project north of Fairmont in Martin County.

The Lake Charlotte Solar project would generate 150 megawatts of solar electricity and it would store 600 megawatt hours of power in a batter energy storage system in Rutland Township. It would be built by Geronimo Power on more than 1,000 acres of land.

Supporters of the project say it will help Minnesota meet the state’s clean energy mandate that will require 100 percent of the state’s electricity to be generated by carbon free sources by 2040. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027, while operations aren’t anticipated to start up until the fourth quarter of 2029, according to project documents, and the total capital cost for the entire project is estimated to range between $360 million to $435 million.

The project’s planning documents also indicate that the site will generate an estimated $358,000 in tax revenue per year over 30 years, with about $287,000 a year going to Martin County and $71,700 per year will be paid to Rutland Township. Lease and purchase payments to landowners would offset losses from removing land from agricultural use.

(from Minnesota Public Radio)