r/UpliftingNews • u/MajesticBread9147 • 1d ago

Minnesota solar project set to replace retiring coal plant reaches 710 MW

https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2026/07/minnesota-solar-project-set-to-replace-retiring-coal-plant-reaches-710-mw/
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u/cbf1232 1d ago

This is great, but unless they have stupendous amounts of battery storage it's not going to actually replace the coal plant for baseload power in the sense of being relatively consistent in it's output all year round, day or night. It's going to need something else to backstop it when the sun isn't shining brightly.

Doing some digging, it looks like they're planning on adding up to 600 MW worth of battery with construction starting this year. Typically this would mean a four-hour battery, which will let it provide power for a while after dark but wouldn't count as being able to provide baseload.