Solar Array in Haverhill Township Complete
September 7, 2021
by; Gretchen Williamson, Olmsted County Communications Manager
Olmsted County, Cenergy Power, and People’s Energy Cooperative partner on a clean energy initiative
ROCHESTER, Minn. – A collaborative effort to develop a solar array in Haverhill Township has been completed and is generating electricity in the region. The array was made possible through a partnership between Olmsted County, Cenergy Power, and People’s Energy Cooperative (PEC).
The solar array is located at 4613 70th Avenue NE in Haverville Township, and construction began on December 7th, 2020.
Cenergy, a national leader in solar array construction, is leasing approximately six acres of Olmsted County-owned land and will sell the power generated from the panels to PEC through a 25-year power purchase agreement.
“It’s exciting to see the fruits of this collaborative effort between Olmsted County, Cenergy Power, and the People’s Energy Cooperative,” said Olmsted County Deputy County Administrator Pete Giesen. “Olmsted County is committed to delivering innovative solutions, using public resources wisely, and protecting environmental resources; using county land for solar technology to generate electricity for residents in the region aligns with that commitment.”
The partnership between Cenergy, PEC, and Olmsted County to restore a polluted site for the purpose of clean energy has a positive environmental impact.
“Cenergy is fortunate to have been selected by People’s Energy to head the development, engineering/design, and construction of the solar project through National Renewables Cooperative Organization (NRCO),” said Cenergy Power Vice President, Sales/Corporate Development Nader Yarpezeshkan. “The collaborative efforts of Cenergy, NRCO, PEC, and Olmsted County is truly a model of how partnerships should perform. Through the support of the Haverhill Township and the local community, it is projects like this that have helped Cenergy and its partners reinvest in communities by creating new clean energy, jobs, and tax revenues.”
“We are pleased to be able to partner with Cenergy and Olmsted County to make this project a reality. It aligns with our mission to provide innovative energy solutions for our members, our values of good stewardship and involvement in our communities, as well as our strategic goal to explore and pursue renewables that provide member value,” said PEC President and CEO Mike Henke. He added, “This project will produce about 2.1 MWh per year, which translates to electricity for about 200 homes in our service territory.”
About Olmsted County
Olmsted County is the eighth largest county in Minnesota, with eight cities (Rochester being the largest), 18 townships, and approximately 150,000 residents (2016 census data). The county is governed by seven individuals elected to serve on the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners, and county services are supported by nearly 1,300 Olmsted County government employees working to provide the foundation of a vibrant community. For more information, visit www.olmstedcounty.com.
About Cenergy
Cenergy is an integrated solar development, engineering, and construction company with turn-key solar and energy storage solutions for the national utility and commercial markets. Cenergy’s in-house teams of data-driven power developers, engineers, and construction and quality control managers are very experienced in managing critical quality, cost, and troubleshooting elements related to the development, design/ engineering, financing, permitting, and construction of multi-megawatt scale solar projects. Over the last fourteen years, Cenergy has completed over 350 megawatts of solar installations nationwide.
About People’s Energy Cooperative
People's Energy Cooperative is a member-owned electric cooperative celebrating over 80 years of delivering retail electric power to its 20,000 consumer-members in Olmsted, Dodge, Fillmore, Mower, Wabasha, and Winona Counties. The Cooperative is a Touchstone Energy® cooperative and a member-owner in the Dairyland Power Cooperative system of electric cooperatives that generates and transmits reliable electric power in 62 counties of four states (Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Illinois). PEC is an equal opportunity provider and employer. For more information, visit peoplesenergy.coop.