Business and Residential Demand Strong for Affordable Community Solar in Minnesota
September 27 2016 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
NRG Reaches Renewable Energy Agreements with
Flagship National Business Customers
NRG Energy, Inc. (NYSE:NRG) today announced that its renewables
business has broken ground on its first five community solar
projects in Minnesota and reached agreements to subscribe several
national business customers to its solar farms in the state.
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NRG has broken ground on its first
community solar sites in Minnesota. Pictured here: one of the
company's existing sites in Freetown, Mass. (Photo: Business
Wire)
“Across Minnesota we are hearing the same strong message from
residents and businesses alike: they want to be powered by
affordable, renewable energy,” said Drew Warshaw, Vice President,
Community Solar, NRG. “Community solar gives them that opportunity
– a simple, cost-effective path for residents and businesses to go
solar without having to put panels on their roofs.”
NRG’s commitment to developing community solar in Minnesota (the
state where NRG began operations in 1989) is moving forward with
25-year Solar Subscription Agreements (SSAs) signed by more than
1,000 residents and several large businesses in the state
including:
- U.S. Bank – the 5th largest
commercial bank in the United States, with six sites subscribed,
including the iconic U.S. Bank Plaza in Minneapolis;
- Land O’Lakes – a national
member-owned agricultural cooperative based in the Minneapolis-St.
Paul suburb of Arden Hills, with its corporate headquarters
subscribing;
- Macy’s – one of the nation’s
premier retailers, with three of its retail sites subscribing;
- Ecolab – the global leader in
water, hygiene and energy technologies and services headquartered
in St. Paul, with several corporate facilities subscribing.
“We seek out partnerships that positively impact the environment
and participating in this unique community solar garden initiative
is a great example of that,” said Reba Dominski, senior vice
president, Corporate Social Responsibility at U.S. Bank. “We are
proud to be a subscriber along with Land O’Lakes, Macy’s, Ecolab
and others, and congratulate NRG for its leadership and investment
in this important work. We are excited to see the positive impact
the gardens will have on our communities.”
NRG’s renewables business has broken ground on five projects in
Minnesota that will provide clean energy:
- Forest Lake Project in Washington
County – 6.7 MW dc (5 MW ac);
- Farmington Project in Dakota County –
6.1 MW dc (5 MW ac);
- Pine Island Project in Goodhue County –
3.5 MW dc (2.9 MW ac);
- Highway 14 Project in Olmstead County –
6.7 MW dc (5 MW ac);
- Dodge Project in Dodge County – 6.1 MW
dc (5 MW ac).
All of the projects are slated for completion by early 2017. The
five solar farms will serve both businesses and residential
customers.
How it works: Business and residential customers in Minnesota
subscribe to an NRG community solar farm by signing a 25-year SSA.
Electricity generated at the solar farm goes to the local utility’s
grid. Customers then receive a bill credit from their utility — in
this case, Xcel Energy, Inc. — for their subscribed share of the
electricity produced by the community solar farm.
“We’d like to thank Xcel Energy, Governor Dayton and the State
Legislature for supporting this innovative community solar
program,” added NRG’s Drew Warshaw. “Their forward-thinking
leadership – along with that of our flagship customers in four
Minnesota counties – is paving the way for other states to follow
suit.”
For more information on NRG’s community solar program in
Minnesota, click here.
About NRG
NRG is the leading integrated power company in the U.S., built
on the strength of the nation’s largest and most diverse
competitive electric generation portfolio and leading retail
electricity platform. A Fortune 200 company, NRG creates value
through best in class operations, reliable and efficient electric
generation, and a retail platform serving residential and
commercial businesses. Working with electricity customers, large
and small, we continually innovate, embrace and implement
sustainable solutions for producing and managing energy. We aim to
be pioneers in developing smarter energy choices and delivering
exceptional service as our retail electricity providers serve
almost 3 million residential and commercial customers throughout
the country. More information is available at www.nrg.com.
Connect with NRG Energy on Facebook and follow us on Twitter
@nrgenergy.
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NRGErik Linden, 609-524-4519Erik.Linden@nrg.com
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