Chisago eyed by Geronimo Energy for solar farm sites

Geronimo Energy has at least four sites identified in Chisago County for solar power farms that will provide alternative energy sources into the massive midwest power grid. Geronimo Energy representatives met Monday this week with the county’s HRA/EDA to request that the Board send a letter of support to the MN Public Utilities Commission for the concept.

Nathan Franzen told the Economic Development Authority directors meeting in North Branch, one-fifth of Geronimo Energy’s entire proposal under state regulatory review is based in Chisago County. The county is home to an extensive electric power distribution grid. Geronimo likes to feed its alternative sources (wind and solar) into distribution systems (versus transmission) because it’s more efficient, so the sites that Geronimo Energy hopes to utilize for its solar farms are near existing substations.

Franzen said the four shown on the map may or may not be the final number depending on negotiations that continue, with Chisago Lakes School District being one landowner still talking. (The school site is between rural Shafer and Taylors Falls.) Franzen said some sites will be leased and others will be acquired outright. The Geronimo Energy plan calls for a 20-year solar farm lifetime. There will be no conversion to wind turbines, he assured the EDA Board.

The sites will fulfill part of what has been identified by the state as a need for Xcel to add 150 megawatts of alternative energy sources by 2017 and up to 500 MW by 2019. Xcel is having the PUC review through administrative law resources five proposals from various companies hoping to help Xcel meet its needs. Franzen said jobs are created with installation of the solar collectors and about 20 fulltime positions will be needed for the entire Geronimo Energy state proposal. Solar farms contribute property tax at the agricultural rate these parcels are now being taxed at, but there’s also a “production tax” that is estimated will generate about $180,000 annually for all of the sites in the county.

The production tax is based on power (megawatts) created. Franzen explained that Geronimo Energy considers these local solar sites as “peaking” power systems. They’ll be called upon by Xcel to assist in times of heaviest electric use. Solar energy, Franzen continued, is “reliable” because it’s predictably producing at a time when peaking power is being called for (ie: sunny part of the day.) Geronimo Energy, which is based in Edina, does have extensive wind power presence too, however. The EDA Board members agreed the project merits support and directed staff to draft a letter and submit it to state regulators who are in the early process of deciding how to permit this proposal.

The state handles zoning and project siting issues related to these local utility projects due to their size. Chisago County Environmental Services Director Kurt Jensen Schneider said he plans to be tracking these development sites and that county support should be based on Geronimo Energy cooperating with local zoning standards.