In bid against gas, Minnesota regulators say solar can proceed (100 MW)

http://www.midwestenergynews.com/2014/03/27/in-bid-against-gas-minnesota-regulators-say-solar-can-proceed/

A proposed $250 million distributed solar project appears to have held its own in a Minnesota regulatory process that put it in competition with three natural gas options.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission on Thursday ordered Xcel Energy to pursue a power-purchase agreement with a Twin Cities solar developer to meet part of its projected generation shortfall later this decade.

Geronimo Energy’s 100 megawatt solar proposal will be paired with one or more natural gas projects, to be determined later, to provide up to 500 megawatts of new generation Xcel expects to need by 2019.

The agreements would be subject to further review by the PUC.

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