Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Energy developer seeks extra credit

Published (3/18/2010)
By Sue Hegarty
Share on: 



A former Olmsted County landfill could morph into the Upper Midwest’s largest solar farm.

Rep. Andy Welti (DFL-Plainview) sponsors HF3429 that would enable the Dairyland Power Cooperative to produce up to five megawatts of solar energy at the closed landfill site north of Rochester.

Dairyland, which supplies energy to People’s, Tri-County, and Freeborn Mower cooperatives, is seeking legislative approval to apply energy efficiency credits resulting from the project in order to meet mandated goals. The House Energy Finance and Policy Division approved the bill March 17 and sent it to the House floor.

Supporters say the project offers the triple benefit of using underutilized property, land lease payments to the state and numerous construction jobs.

Sen. Dan Sparks (DFL-Austin) sponsors the companion, SF3046, which awaits action by the full Senate.

Session Weekly More...


Session Weekly Home



Related Stories


At Issue: Warm homes, cool jobs
Energy upgrades planned with federal stimulus funds
(view full story) Published 5/29/2009

First Reading: Weathering the economic storm
Minnesota’s adverse climate could front new job growth
(view full story) Published 3/13/2009