When will this big solar project near Byron and Kasson be built?

September 1 — Dear Answer Man: I recently drove south of Byron and Kasson and did not see the large solar project I read about last year. I thought the project was supposed to be built on about 1,800 acres of farmland in that area. When will it be built? Or has the project been abandoned? — Solar Fan.

Dear Solar,

A little tour of this area in my neighborhood confirms what you saw. The fields that will one day “harvest” energy from the sun are still expecting a more traditional harvest this fall: soybeans and corn by the bushel.

If you were expecting the solar project to start this summer, you’re a summer too early.

Construction on the project, according to EDF Renewables, the renewable energy developer behind the project, is expected to begin in 2025. The company already has another project in southeastern Minnesota, the 75 mW Louise Solar Project east of Adams in Mower County.

The $256 million Byron Solar project is set to cover 1,801 acres in Canisteo Township, with another 53 acres set to be dedicated to a transmission line from the project to the Byron substation, where the project will be connected to the regional grid. Minnesota Public Utilities Commission permits have been approved, and construction of the 200-megawatt project south of Kasson is expected next spring. That’s enough power, according to EDF Renewables, to light 30,000 homes.

So far, everything is going according to plan. The project was first announced in 2021 and was expected to take two to four years to get permits and study the project. Construction, once it starts, is expected to take about two years in total. That means everything will be almost ready by the end of 2026. The company says the solar farm will be up and running by 2027 and the project should have a 35-year lifespan.

That’s a lot of sun to power the Answer Man’s coffee pot in the morning. And my blender for other beverages in the evening.

And yes, I know the sun doesn’t shine at night. But solar power allows us to turn off coal and gas plants on sunny days. And if the wind blows at night—when doesn’t it blow at night in southeastern Minnesota?—then another renewable energy, wind power, can take over.

Clean air, coffee in the morning, lime juice smoothies in the evening, and an “all of the above” system for energy: sounds like a plan guaranteed to succeed.

Oh, and farmers in Canisteo Parish in Dodge County will be able to earn another source of income, making their business model more diversified during times of economic instability.

As they say on my favorite, too-soon-canceled Western TV series: Shiny!

Please direct questions to Answer Man at [email protected].