Celebration included farmer's market and
presentation of two local education funds
MINNEAPOLIS, June 20,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week, Minnesota-based National Grid
Renewables hosted a community event celebrating two new solar
projects located in Southern
Minnesota – the 50 megawatt (MW) Louise Solar Project
located in Mower County, and the
Fillmore County Solar Project located in Fillmore County. The "Homegrown Minnesolar"
event brought together community members, landowners, customers,
partners, and local officials to celebrate and recognize the
positive impact of these projects to the local communities and
residents.
"We're incredibly proud of our farmer-founded roots that began
right here in Minnesota," said
Blake Nixon, president of National
Grid Renewables. "As a Minnesota-headquartered company, today is an
exciting day. The Fillmore County
and Louise Solar projects represent our deep commitment to boosting
economic vitality in communities throughout rural America in the
form of new investment driving economic growth, tax revenue, jobs,
and charitable funding."
Minneapolis-based Xcel
Energy has an agreement to purchase 80 megawatts of energy
from the Fillmore County and
Louise solar projects to deliver to its customers throughout the
Upper Midwest.
"Solar energy — combined with the nation-leading amounts of wind
power we're bringing onto our system, the retirement of our coal
plants and the continued operation of our carbon-free nuclear fleet
— supports our vision of providing 100% carbon-free electricity to
our customers," said Ryan Long,
president of Xcel Energy–Minnesota, North
Dakota and South Dakota.
"At the same time, these solar installations will help us open up
new subscriptions in our popular Renewable*Connect program, which
allows participating customers to attribute more of their energy
use to renewable sources and support the clean energy
transition."
In partnership with Renewing the Countryside, the event featured
a farmer's market, showcasing local farmers and vendors, including
Squash Blossom Farm, Leafy Legacy Family Farm, Seven Songs Organic
Farm, CannonBelles Cheese, Carlson Roasting, The Bee Shed, Simple
Soaps for Simple Folks, Joe Mama BBQ Sauce, and Schmidt Farm.
Products available at the market included a variety of jams, honey,
chocolates, and other delicious items produced by local makers.
"Including a farmers market at the event was a great way to
allow attendees to try and buy some of the area's best local
foods," said Marlene Petersen,
Community Outreach Ambassador at Renewing the Countryside, who
helped organize the farmer market vendors. "It also supported nine
local agribusinesses, all of whom help the regional economy
flourish. We all appreciated being invited and had a lot of fun
enjoying great food and making new connections."
Event attendees also had the opportunity to take a
behind-the-scenes tour of the Louise Solar project, where guests
were able to see and learn first-hand how a solar project is built.
Both projects utilize First Solar Series 6+ Bifacial modules and
are being constructed by Berry Construction.
Last week, National Grid Renewables also announced their pledge
of $380,000 in total
contributions to charitable funding through the Fillmore and Louise projects. The projected
contributions will be divided between two education funds
supporting the Southland and LeRoy-Ostrander school districts. Together,
Fillmore and Louise will
contribute more than $30 million in
direct economic impact over the first 20 years of operation,
including over $4 million in new tax
revenue to be distributed to local townships and counties. An
estimated 300 construction workers built the projects, and the
projects will each employ 1-2 operations and maintenance team
members.
In addition to the economic benefits provided by both
Fillmore and Louise, there are
many environmental benefits as well. Using the United States
Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas
equivalencies calculator, the Fillmore and Louise projects are estimated to
offset carbon dioxide emissions annually by a combined 2.4 million
metric tons during the first 20 years of operations. This is
equivalent to removing 568,400 cars off the road for one year.
Additionally, the projects will also avoid a combined 4.4 billion
gallons of water over the first 20 years of operations.
About National Grid Renewables
National Grid
Renewables develops, owns and operates large-scale renewable energy
assets across the United States,
including solar, wind, and energy storage. As a farmer-friendly and
community-focused business, National Grid Renewables repowers
America's electricity grid by reigniting local economies and
reinvesting in a sustainable, clean energy future. National Grid
Renewables supports National Grid's vision of being at the heart of
a clean, fair, and affordable energy future for all. To learn more
about National Grid Renewables, visit
www.nationalgridrenewables.com or follow the company on
LinkedIn.
Contact:
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National Grid
Renewables
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press@nationalgridrenewables.com
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Media Relations:
612.429.7050
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SOURCE National Grid Renewables