Minnesota Power, a utility division of ALLETE, plans to build two solar projects in northern Minnesota as part of its continued transition toward a cleaner energy future while prioritizing regional renewable energy investments.
The Regal Solar project near Royalton, Minnesota, and the Boswell Solar project in Cohasset, Minnesota, were selected in an open process from competitive bids in Minnesota Power’s 2023 solar request for proposals.
The Boswell Solar project will have a capacity of 85 MW from about 180,000 bifacial solar modules on about 600 acres, part of it owned by Minnesota Power. The project, expected to be operational by mid-2027, will use existing electric infrastructure at the Boswell Energy Center, requiring only a collector substation and a short transmission line to tie into the grid.
The Regal Solar project will have a capacity of 119.5 MW from about 255,000 bifacial solar modules on about 800 acres. The renewable project will tie to the regional electric grid though a 3.5-mile collector line and substation and is also scheduled to be operational in mid-2027.
The two projects are part of Minnesota Power’s actions to meet the up-to-300 MW of regional solar generation included in Minnesota Power’s Integrated Resource Plan approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) in 2023.
“These two projects exemplify ALLETE’s sustainability-in-action strategy by creating local jobs and local renewable energy, and the Boswell Solar project will support one of our existing host communities as we continue to plan for the future,” said ALLETE Vice President and Minnesota Power Chief Operating Officer Josh Skelton. “These projects will help move us toward our goal of providing more than 80% renewable energy by 2030 while working toward meeting the state of Minnesota law calling for carbon-free energy supplies by 2040.”
