Allied Solar, a new joint venture between Greenwood Sustainable Infrastructure (GSI) and SolarGen, is developing a 40 MW utility-scale solar park on approximately 200 acres of privately owned land in Alexandria, Minn.
The proposed project will provide energy to power at least 7,600 homes within the Midwest Independent System Operator (MISO) territory.
GSI is a New York-based renewable energy operator and investor with interest in developing solar and storage facilities across the United States. SolarGen is a solar developer based in Colorado.
“This is an exciting project that will cement GSI’s growth plans and continue to support and advance the nation’s transition to a reliable, clean energy future,” says Mazen Turk, CEO of GSI. “This project will increase access to sustainable energy and promote local job creation. In addition, this step forward is proof that solar is not only affordable but can be implemented across the country – whether it be the American South, mid-Atlantic, Mountain West or the Northeast.”
The 200 acres of private land identified as the home of the project are under contract with Allied Solar pending necessary permits and approvals. The project is currently under review for a Conditional Use Permit with the Douglas County (MN) Land & Resource Department. If passed, the project will be fenced and landscaped based on input from the Douglas County Planning Advisory Commission and the families who own and live on and around the property.
“This is one of the most key points of interconnect in the upper Midwest, and one of the most efficacious locations for injecting 50 MW of reliable and cost-effective renewable energy to serve the area,” states Carmine Iadarola, CEO of SolarGen.
Currently, only three percent of Minnesota’s electricity generation comes from solar. Of that generation, only 24% comes from utility-scale projects. Large-scale projects like the Alexandria solar farm will help accelerate clean energy generation in the state and help it reach its stated goal of 10% solar generation in Minnesota by 2030.
The Alexandria, Minn., project is one of the first developments to be announced as part of the deal GSI announced with SolarGen in March of 2022. That deal included up to 233 MW of new solar capacity in five U.S. states; in addition to Minnesota, they include Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Carolina and Wisconsin.
