Xcel Energy announced in recent days the completion of the Sherco Solar Phase 3, marking another significant milestone in the company’s transformation of a retiring coal plant into a renewable energy hub.
Located near the existing Sherco plant in Becker, Sherco Solar is the largest solar facility in Minnesota, and one of the largest in the Upper Midwest. The company says with three phases now online, the site produces 710 megawatts of electricity powered by some 1.7 million solar panels.
A proposed fourth phase would bring the Sherco Solar’s total generating capacity to 910 megawatts by 2029. Xcel says that’s enough to power more than 190 thousand homes. Officials say the expansion is expected to create an estimated 300 construction jobs, and some 90 million dollars in local economic benefits.
