Invested in a
bright future
Local solar, local benefits
Our investment in utility-scale solar emphasizes our commitment to customers and communities while we strive for an equitable clean-energy transition.
Minnesota Power plans to build two large solar projects in northern Minnesota as part of its EnergyForward strategy for carbon-free energy while prioritizing regional renewable energy investments. The solar additions were included in Minnesota Power’s most recent Integrated Resource Plan approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in 2023.
The Boswell Solar project near Cohasset will have a capacity of 85 megawatts and 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 near Royalton will have a capacity of 119.5 megawatts and will tie to the regional electric grid though a new 3.5-mile collector line and substation.
Construction on both projects will begin in early 2026, with energy production for customers expected to start in mid-2027.
Click on the maps below to learn more about each project.
Clean energy boosts economies
In 2020, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission asked the state's utilities to accelerate planned projects to help kick-start local economies affected by the pandemic. Minnesota Power built the Jean Duluth, Laskin and Sylvan solar projects to generate carbon-free energy for customers while boosting the tax base of local economies, creating local union jobs, contracting with local and diverse suppliers whenever possible, and built with solar panels from regional manufacturers.
Click on the maps below to learn more about each project.
Solar plus sheep
We’re putting sustainability into action as we explore alternatives to traditional summer mowing at our solar sites.
In 2024 at Jean Duluth Solar, 100 Katahdin sheep spent about three weeks chowing down on excess vegetation to keep the solar panels clear and help the pollinator plants thrive.
Watch these four-legged mowers on the job at the 1.6-megawatt renewable energy site and learn more about the potential for solar grazing at Minnesota Power.
