Northern States Power Company d/b/a Xcel Energy on April 20 filed with the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission an application for a site permit for the up to 460-MW Sherco Solar Project in Sherburne County, as well as for route permits for two 345-kV transmission lines to interconnect the solar project to the grid.
As noted in the filing, the West high-voltage transmission line (HVTL) is about 3.2 miles long (West HVTL Project), and the East HVTL line is about 1.7 miles long (East HVTL Project). Both lines would connect the solar project to the existing Sherburne County substation immediately south of the Xcel Sherburne County generating facility.
The company added that the solar project would partially replace energy production of the nearly 700-MW Sherco Generating Plant Unit 2, currently a coal-powered facility, which will cease operations in 2023.
The project represents a joint development between Xcel and National Grid Renewables Development, LLC, the filing noted, adding that the companies entered into a purchase and sale agreement (PSA) in mid-January, whereby NG Renewables will act as an authorized representative on behalf of Xcel. Xcel earlier in April submitted a petition with the commission to, among other things, initiate the process of seeking commission approval of the PSA with NG Renewables.
Xcel noted that the solar energy conversion facility with a 460-MW AC nameplate capacity would be located in Clear Lake and Becker townships in Sherburne County, within agricultural fields between U.S. Highway 10 and the Mississippi River, and on the east and west sides of the existing Sherco Generating Plant.
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