Xcel Energy seeks 1,200 MW of new wind capacity

Xcel Energy is asking developers to submit proposals for approximately 1,200 megawatts of new wind projects.

The utility is seeking projects located in southwest Minnesota that would be commercially operable by the end of 2027. Xcel Energy said these new wind resources, combined with solar and energy storage projects, would help replace the capacity of the coal-fired Sherco plant in Becker.

The transition is part of the company’s Upper Midwest Integrated Resource Plan, approved by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in 2022.

The Sherco site plays an important role in Xcel Energy’s plan to cut emissions. The utility has proposed a transmission line that would deliver 2,000 MW of renewable energy to the grid at Sherco.

In April 2023, the company broke ground on a 710 MW solar project near the coal plant site. Once complete, the project would fully replace the first Sherco coal unit, which is scheduled to retire by the end of the year.

The company has also received state approval on a long-duration battery storage pilot project at Sherco.