Minnesota Power, Minnesota National Guard cut ribbon on Camp Ripley solar array
Minnesota Power and the Minnesota National Guard participated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of a solar array at Camp Ripley in Morrison County, the largest such array at a National Guard base in the nation.
The 10-megawatt solar array will provide electricity to Minnesota Power customers and can be used by Camp Ripley if an interruption in normal service occurs, improving energy security at the base.
“Today’s event underscores the power of public-private partnerships to meet the nation’s call to transform
its energy landscape, and how finding the best energy solutions requires all of us working together,” Al Hodnik, chairman, president and CEO of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, said.
The Minnesota Power Foundation also provided a $10,000 contribution to the Veterans Art Project, which
is sponsoring murals of each service branch inside Committal Hall at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery across the Mississippi River from Camp Ripley.
Construction of the solar array began in May 2016, and it was fully operational in November 2016. Minnesota Power contracted with M+W Group to build the array. Hunt Electric is the primary subcontractor.
The $25 million project is located on approximately 63 acres and includes over 116,000 thin-film solar panels and eight inverters. The panels, produced by First Solar of Ohio, are designed withstand half-inch hail, 105 mile-per-hour winds and are expected to operate for the next 30 years.
