Developer Requests Clarification of Minnesota PUC’s Community Solar Garden Order

Minnesota solar developer SolarStone Partners, LLC filed a Motion for Clarification of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission’s September 2014 Order Approving Solar-Garden Plan with Modifications. Specifically, SolarStone is requesting clarification of the Commission’s interpretation of the requirement in the Community Solar Garden Statute that a project must be located within the utility’s service territory. One of SolarStone’s community solar garden projects planned in Chisago County is primarily located within Xcel Energy’s service territory, but a small portion of the project protrudes outside of Xcel’s territory. Because the project is not entirely within its territory, Xcel declined to advance the project through the interconnection process. SolarStone argues that its project is compliant with the program because its points of interconnection/common coupling are within Xcel’s territory. We will update this story as it develops.

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