A proposed 150-megawatt solar farm with battery storage has received approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.
The PUC approved a permit last week for the Lake Wilson Solar Energy project in Murray County. The project will be able to store up to 95 megawatts of electricity in a four-hour battery system. The solar farm will charge the battery system when the sun is shining, and then supply energy back to the electric grid when needed, the PUC said in a news release.
Invenergy, a renewable energy company with solar and wind power installations nationwide, applied for a site permit for the Lake Wilson solar project in February 2023. The proposed Lake Wilson Solar Energy Center will be located south of Minnesota 30 between the cities of Hadley and Lake Wilson.
The electricity generated by the solar project will connect to the grid through an interconnection to an existing Xcel Energy transmission line that runs through the site. Invenergy spokespeople said the solar facility and battery component would produce enough electricity to power more than 31,000 homes. The project will invest more than $90 million in Murray County, they said.
