Minnesota Power, a division of ALLETE Inc., has announced plans to develop two major solar projects in northern Minnesota as part of its push toward a cleaner energy future and regional renewable energy investments. The projects, Regal Solar near Royalton and Boswell Solar in Cohasset, were selected through a competitive bidding process for Minnesota Power’s 2023 solar request for proposals, overseen by an independent evaluator.
The Boswell Solar project will generate 85 megawatts of power from approximately 180,000 bifacial solar panels across 600 acres, partially owned by Minnesota Power. It will utilize existing electric infrastructure at the Boswell Energy Center, with minimal new grid connections required. The Regal Solar project will generate 119.5 megawatts from 255,000 bifacial panels across 800 acres, linking to the grid via a new 3.5-mile collector line and substation. Both projects are expected to be operational by mid-2027.
These solar projects are part of Minnesota Power’s broader efforts to meet the up-to-300 megawatts of solar generation outlined in its Integrated Resource Plan, approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) in 2023. ALLETE Vice President and Minnesota Power COO Josh Skelton highlighted the benefits of local job creation and renewable energy contributions, emphasizing the company’s goal of providing over 80% renewable energy by 2030, in line with Minnesota’s carbon-free energy mandate by 2040.
Both projects include preferences for local labor, diverse suppliers, and apprenticeships aimed at training the future renewable energy workforce. The construction of these projects is subject to MPUC and other regulatory approvals.
Minnesota Power serves 150,000 customers, 14 municipalities, and some of the largest industrial clients in the U.S. across a 26,000-square-mile region in northeastern Minnesota. ALLETE, headquartered in Duluth, Minnesota, owns additional energy companies including ALLETE Clean Energy and has interests in other energy and transmission ventures.
