Our investment in utility-scale solar emphasizes our commitment to customers and communities while we strive for an equitable clean-energy transition.
The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in 2020 asked the state's utilities to accelerate planned projects to help kick-start local economies affected by the pandemic. Our three solar projects generate carbon-free energy for customers, boost the tax base of local economies, created local union jobs, contracted with local and diverse suppliers whenever possible, and were built with solar panels from regional manufacturers.
Click on the maps below to learn more about each project.
Jean Duluth Solar Project
Minnesota Power's Jean Duluth Solar photovoltaic array is on about 9 acres of city-owned land in Duluth. The 1.6-megawatt array produces about 2,500 megawatt-hours of energy annually, enough to power more than 300 homes. It was built by local contractors and union labor, with about 14 jobs at the peak of construction.
Laskin Solar Project
Minnesota Power's Laskin Solar photovoltaic array is on about 25 acres of company-owned land near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. The 5.6-megawatt array produces about 9,300 megawatt-hours of energy annually, enough to power about 1,100 homes. It was built by local contractors and union labor, with about 31 jobs at the peak of construction.
Sylvan Solar Project
Minnesota Power's Sylvan Solar photovoltaic array is on about 80 acres of company-owned land near the Sylvan Hydro Station west of Brainerd, Minnesota. The 15.2-megawatt array will produce about 29,000 megawatt-hours of energy annually, enough to power about 3,400 homes. It was built by local contractors and union labor, with about 33 jobs at the peak of construction.
Minnesota Power’s parent company, ALLETE, has entered an agreement to be acquired by a partnership led by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners and start the process to become a private company.
This transaction will not change our operations, strategy or shared purpose and values, and it is business as usual for all of us at Minnesota Power. Learn more at www.ALLETEforward.com.
