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Board approves 5 MW community solar CUP with $225,000 decommissioning escrow and stray-voltage testing pledge
Summary
The county granted a conditional use permit for a 5 MW community solar farm connected to Xcel Energy’s community program, approved a corrected decommissioning escrow of $225,000 (45,000 per MW), and accepted the developer's offer to perform stray-voltage testing after neighbor concerns.
The Waseca County Board on Aug. 19 approved a conditional use permit for a 5-megawatt community solar installation slated to connect to Xcel Energy’s low-to-moderate-income community solar program.
Planning staff told commissioners the decommissioning escrow amount in the packet should be corrected from $250,000 to $225,000 based on the county’s decommissioning standard of $45,000 per megawatt. Staff said the project’s submitted decommissioning plan estimated current removal costs of about $204,000 and that the county’s requirement provides an additional safety margin.
Planner (Speaker 2) said developers have amended the planting and vegetation plan at neighbors’ request to extend screening vegetation along the west and north sides and have coordinated with NRCS on pollinator habitat. She also said Nokomis Energy volunteered "to do stray voltage testing" after a neighbor raised stray-voltage concerns.
Commissioner discussion addressed whether escrow funds should include an escalation clause for inflation; staff noted that interest on a cash escrow could help cover future increases and that current county escrow agreements are silent on interest accrual. The board approved the CUP with the staff-recommended 11 conditions and the corrected $225,000 escrow amount.
Why it matters: The CUP clears a locally sited community solar project expected to serve low-to-moderate-income subscribers through Xcel Energy’s program while adding neighbor protections (screening plantings and testing) and a decommissioning escrow to cover eventual removal costs.
Quote: "If you look at 5 megawatts times 45,000, that's how you come up with the number of 225,000 for the decommissioning account," Speaker 2 said during the discussion.
