Dakota Electric Association members are now receiving more electricity from the sun through a new 2-megawatt solar facility built specifically for the cooperative’s members. Dakota Electric’s board of directors, along with Great River Energy and ENGIE personnel, held a dedication July 19 at the joint solar facility in Hampton Township. Rep. Pat Garofalo, Sen. Rich Draheim and Public Utilities Commissioner John Tuma attended the event along with representatives from Conservation Minnesota, CURE, and Center for Energy and Environment. The 15-acre solar site is expected to have a 25-year life and will produce enough electricity to power about 300 average homes. The 7,776 panels, which track the sun as it moves through the sky, will produce more than 3 million kilowatt-hours of power annually. After a ribbon-cutting event, attendees received a tour of the solar site and learned about the process of producing electricity from the sun. They also learned how the panels rotate to track the sun’s movements to maximize the energy produced.
