The West Central Tribune reported last week that a large solar farm proposed in Renville County is expected to be permitted by the end of the summer.
The project, Gopher State Solar, would be a 200 MW nameplate capacity of photovoltaic panels “in Kingman, Osceola, and Bird Island townships in Renville County, Minnesota.” The project would span 1,667 acres, with 979 acres occupied by solar panels and infrastructure. The Chicago-based developer, Ranger Power, described the panels as aligned to the south and tracking the sun from east to west. The project documents, including its environmental assessment, may be found at the Public Utilities Commission’s website.
The environmental assessment notes likely aesthetic and land use impacts, expecting that “solar arrays will be visible from nearby residences and adjacent roadways,” and that “constructing the project will change land use from agricultural to solar energy production for a minimum of 30 years.” The assessment also believes that wildlife and habitat impacts will be minimal in general but are “species-dependent,” with the panels creating “the potential for bird collisions and funneling wildlife toward roads in certain areas.”
The West Central Tribune reports that Renville County has concerns about the project, including property values declining, visual glare, and that decommissioning costs may fall on the county:
Renville County has raised concerns about the project. During discussions at the Renville County Board of Commissioners meeting on April 1, it was also noted that some landowners neighboring the site were present at the in-person hearing.
It was stated at the hearing that property values can decrease by about 4% for residences within a half-mile of a solar site, according to the discussions.
The visual aesthetics, possible glare from the panels, and possible humming and other noise from the electrical equipment were issues raised at an Oct. 29, 2024, hearing held in Olivia on the project.
The Renville County commissioners have expressed concerns that the cost for decommissioning the project could fall on the county if the project fails financially. It is seeking a decommissioning agreement with Ranger Power to provide financial assurance for those potential costs, but the sides differ greatly on what the costs could be.
Ranger Power estimates that decommissioning costs could total $1.4 million. The company’s estimate is based on expectations of approximately $5.5 million in salvage value for the solar panels and materials and $7 million in costs for removal and site restoration.
Renville County maintains that decommissioning costs could total $21 million as there is no way to predict the value of the materials two decades or more in the future.
In a letter to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, Scott Refsland, director of Renville County Environmental Services, said a company proposing a 125-megawatt solar project in the county estimates the decommissioning costs at $3.3 million to $5 million, or as much as $6.5 million more than Ranger Power estimates for its much larger project.
The county is asking that if the project is permitted, language in the permit allow the county to pursue all legal options against the project owner — and, if applicable, against landowners — to recover any decommissioning costs that would become the county’s responsibility if an agreement is not reached with Ranger Power.
These concerns are not to be dismissed lightly. The PUC is expected to decide in July or August whether to permit the project.