Construction Starts on Largest Solar Energy Project in Midwest

northstarSolar

Oklahoma has yet to get a commercial solar operation but solar remains of high interest in the Midwest.  Now construction has started on the largest solar energy project in the Midwest is underway in Chisago County, Minnesota.

There, D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, LLC acquired the 100 MW North Star Solar Project from Community Energy, Inc. and started construction.

Upon completion in late 2016, North Star will be the single largest solar energy project in the Midwest, and one of the largest in the U.S. North Star is located on private agricultural land and has a 25-year power purchase agreement with Minnesota-based Xcel Energy.

The North Star project will ultimately comprise more than 400,000 crystalline photovoltaic modules using single-axis tracking technology that follows the sun as it rises in the east and sets in the west. This tracking technology helps to increase both the project’s output and the value of the output to the utility system. In total, the project is expected to generate enough power for approximately 20,000 homes in its first year.